i 


' 

1 

. 
i 
- 

• 

, 

. 


He    was    now    towering    over    those    near    him,    with    his    head 
thrown  back,  and  his  hair  tossed  like  a  mane  on  his  shoulders 


THE 
LEATHERWOOD   GOD 


BY 


WILLIAM  DEAN  HOWELLS 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 
HENRY  RALEIGH 


NEW  YORK 

THE  CENTURY  CO. 

1916 


o 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
THE  CENTURY  Co. 


Published,  October,  igi6 


PUBLISHER'S  NOTE 

The  author  thinks  it  well  to  apprise  the  reader  that 
the  historical  outline  of  this  story  is  largely  taken 
from  the  admirable  narrative  of  Judge  Taneyhill  in 
the  Ohio  Valley  Series,,  Robert  Clarke  Co.,  Cincinnati. 
The  details  are  often  invented,  and  the  characters  are 
all  invented  as  to  their  psychological  evolution,  though 
some  are  based  upon  those  of  real  persons  easily 
identifiable  in  that  narrative.  The  drama  is  that  of 
the  actual  events  in  its  main  development;  but  the 
vital  incidents,  or  the  vital  uses  of  them,  are  the 
author's.  At  times  he  has  enlarged  them ;  at  times  he 
has  paraphrased  the  accounts  of  the  witnesses;  in  one 
instance  he  has  frankly  reproduced  the  words  of  the 
imposter  as  reported  by  one  who  heard  Dylks's  last 
address  in  the  Temple  at  Leatherwood  and  as  given 
in  the  Taneyhill  narrative.  Otherwise  the  story  is 
effectively  fiction. 


:" 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

He  was  now  towering  over  those  near  him,  with  his  head 
thrown  back,  and  his  hair  tossed  like  a  mane  on  his 
shoulders Frontispiece 

Nancy  stood  staring  at  her,  with  words  beyond  saying  in 
her  heart  —  words  that  rose  in  her  throat  and  choked  her  65 

"  You  believe,  maybe,  that  you  would  be  struck  dead  if  you 
said  the  things  that  I  do;  but  why  ain't  I  struck  dead?"  97 

"It's  my  cloth!  I  spun  it,  I  wove  it,  every  thread!  It's 
all  we  've  got  for  our  clothes  this  winter ! "  .  .  .  .  129 

"Now  you  can  see  how  it  feels  to  have  your  own  husband 
slap  you" 145 

She  had  begun  to  wash  his  wound,  very  gently,  though  she 
spoke  so  roughly,  while  he  murmured  with  the  pain  and 
with  the  comfort  of  the  pain 165 

They  swarmed  forward  to  the  altar-place  and  flung  them 
selves  on  the  ground,  and  heaped  the  pulpit-steps  with  their 
bodies 191 

"And  he  went  down  ag'in,  and  when  he  come  up  ag'in,  his 
face  was  all  soakin'  wet,  like  he'd  been  crying  under  the 
water"  217 


THE 
LEATHERWOOD  GOD 


THE 
LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

\  LREADY,  in  the  third  decade  of  the  nineteenth 
JL\.  century,  the  settlers  in  the  valley  of  Leather- 
wood  Creek  had  opened  the  primeval  forest  to  their 
fields  of  corn  and  tobacco  on  the  fertile  slopes  and  rich 
bottom-lands.  The  stream  had  its  name  from  the  bush 
growing  on  its  banks,  which  with  its  tough  and  pli 
able  bark  served  many  uses  of  leather  among  the  pio 
neers;  they  made  parts  of  their  harness  with  it,  and 
the  thongs  which  lifted  their  door-latches,  or  tied  their 
shoes,  or  held  their  working  clothes  together.  The 
name  passed  to  the  settlement,  and  then  it  passed 
to  the  man,  who  came  and  went  there  in  mystery  and 
obloquy,  and  remained  lastingly  famed  in  the  annals 
of  the  region  as  the  Leatherwood  God. 

At  the  time  he  appeared  the  community  had  become 
a  center  of  influence,  spiritual  as  well  as  material, 
after  a  manner  unknown  to  later  conditions.  It  was 
still  housed,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  log  cabins  which 
the  farmers  built  when  they  ceased  to  be  pioneers,  but 
in  the  older  clearings,  and  along  the  creek  a  good  many 
frame  dwellings  stood,  and  even  some  of  brick.  The 

3 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

population,  woven  of  the  varied  strains  from  the  North, 
East  and  South  which  have  mixed  to  form  the  Mid- 
Western  people,  enjoyed  an  ease  of  circumstance  not 
so  great  as  to  tempt  their  thoughts  from  the  other 
world  and  fix  them  on  this.  In  their  remoteness 
from  the  political  centers  of  the  young  republic,  they 
seldom  spoke  of  the  civic  questions  stirring  the  towns 
of  the  East;  the  commercial  and  industrial  problems 
which  vex  modern  society  were  unknown  to  them. 
Religion  was  their  chief  interest  and  the  seriousness 
which  they  had  inherited  from  their  Presbyterian, 
Methodist,  Lutheran,  and  Moravian  ancestry  was  ex 
pressed  in  their  orderly  and  diligent  lives;  but  the 
general  prosperity  had  so  far  relaxed  the  stringency 
of  their  several  creeds  that  their  distinctive  public  rite 
had  come  to  express  a  mutual  toleration.  The  dif 
ferent  sects  had  their  different  services;  their  cere 
monies  of  public  baptism,  their  revivals,  their  camp- 
meetings;  but  they  gathered  as  one  Christian  people 
under  the  roof  of  the  log-built  edifice,  thrice  the  size 
of  their  largest  dwelling,  which  they  called  the  Temple. 


4 


I 

A  STORM  of  the  afternoon  before  had  cleared 
the  mid-August  air.  The  early  sun  was  hot,  but 
the  wind  had  carried  away  the  sultry  mists,  and  infused 
fresh  life  into  the  day.  Where  Matthew  Braile  sat 
smoking  his  corncob  pipe  in  the  covered  porchway  be 
tween  the  rooms  of  his  double-log  cabin  he  insensibly 
shared  the  common  exhilaration,  and  waited  comfort 
ably  for  the  breakfast  of  bacon  and  coffee  which  his 
wife  was  getting  within.  As  he  smoked  on  he  inhaled 
with  the  odors  from  her  cooking  the  dense  rich 
smell  of  the  ripening  corn  that  stirred  in  the  morning 
breeze  on  three  sides  of  the  cabin,  and  the  fumes  of  the 
yellow  tobacco  which  he  had  grown,  and  cured,  and 
was  now  burning.  His  serenity  was  a  somewhat 
hawklike  repose,  but  the  light  that  came  into  his  nar 
rowed  eyes  was  of  rather  amused  liking,  as  a  man 
on  a  claybank  horse  rode  up  before  the  cabin  in  the 
space  where  alone  it  was  not  hidden  by  the  ranks  of  the 
tall  corn.  The  man  sat  astride  a  sack  with  a  grist  of 
corn  in  one  end  balanced  by  a  large  stone  in  the  other, 
and  he  made  as  if  he  were  going  on  to  the  mill  without 
stopping;  but  he  yielded  apparently  to  a  temptation 
from  within,  since  none  had  come  from  without. 
"  Whoa ! "  he  shouted  at  the  claybank,  which  the  slight- 

s 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

est  whisper  would  have  stayed;  and  then  he  called  to 
the  old  man  on  the  porch,  "  Fine  mornun',  Squire !  " 

Braile  took  out  his  pipe,  and  spat  over  the  edge  of 
the  porch,  before  he  called  back,  "  Won't  you  light 
and  have  some  breakfast?  " 

"  Well,  no,  thank  you,  Squire/'  the  man  said,  and 
at  the  same  time  he  roused  the  claybank  from  an  in 
stant  repose,  and  pushed  her  to  the  cabin  steps.  "  I  'm 
just  on  my  way  down  to  Brother  Kingston's  mill,  and 
I  reckon  Sally  don't  want  me  to  have  any  breakfast 
till  I  bring  back  the  meal  for  her  to  git  it  with ;  anyway 
that 's  what  she  said  when  I  left."  Braile  answered 
nothing,  and  the  rider  of  the  claybank  added,  with  a 
certain  uneasiness  as  if  for  the  effect  of  what  he  was 
going  to  say,  "  I  was  up  putty  late  last  night,  and  I 
reckon  I  overslep',"  he  parleyed.  Then,  as  Braile  re 
mained  silent,  he  went  on  briskly,  "  I  was  wonderin'  if 
you  hearn  about  the  curious  doun's  last  night  at  the 
camp-meetun'." 

Braile,  said,  without  ceasing  to  smoke,  "  You  're  the 
first  one  I  Ve  seen  this  morning,  except  my  wife.  She 
was  n't  at  the  camp-meeting."  His  aquiline  profile, 
which  met  close  at  the  lips  from  the  loss  of  his  teeth, 
compressed  itself  further  in  leaving  the  whole  burden 
of  the  affair  to  the  man  on  the  claybank,  and  his  nar 
rowed  eyes  were  a  line  of  mocking  under  the  thick 
gray  brows  that  stuck  out  like  feathers  above  them. 

"  Well,  sir,  it  was  great  doun's,"  the  other  said, 
wincing  a  little  under  the  old  man's  indifference. 

6 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Braile  relented  so  far  as  to  ask,  "  Who  was  at  the 
bellows?" 

The  other  answered  with  a  certain  inward  depreca 
tion  of  the  grin  that  spread  over  his  face,  and  the  re 
sponsive  levity  of  his  phrase,  "  There  was  a  change 
of  hands,  but  the  one  that  kep'  the  fire  goun'  the 
hardes'  and  the  hottes'  was  Elder  Grove." 

Braile  made  "  Hoonck ! "  in  the  scornful  guttural 
which  no  English  spelling  can  represent. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  the  man  on  the  claybank  went  on, 
carried  forward  by  his  own  interest,  but  helpless  to 
deny  himself  the  guilty  pleasure  of  falling  in  with 
Braile's  humor,  "  he  had  'em  goun'  lively,  about  mid 
night,  now  I  tell  you:  whoopun'  and  yellun',  and  rip- 
pun'  and  stavun',  and  fallun'  down  with  the  jerks,  and 
pullun'  and  haulun'  at  the  sinners,  to  git  'em  up  to  the 
mourners'  bench,  and  hurrahun'  over  'em,  as  fast  as 
they  was  knocked  down  and  drug  out.  I  never  seen 
the  beat  of  it  in  all  my  born  days." 

"  You  don't  make  out  anything  very  strange,  Abel 
Reverdy,"  Braile  said,  putting  his  pipe  back  into  his 
mouth  and  beginning  to  smoke  it  again  into  a  lost 
activity. 

"  Well,  I  hain't  come  to  it  yit,"  Reverdy  apologized. 
"  I  reckon  there  never  was  a  bigger  meetun'  in  Leather- 
wood  Bottom,  anywhere.  Folks  there  from  twenty 
mile  round,  just  slathers ;  I  reckon  there  was  a  thousand 
if  there  was  one." 

"  Hoonch ! "  Braile  would  not  trouble  to  take  out 

7 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

his  pipe  in  making  the  sound  now;  the  smoke  got  into 
his  lungs,  and  he  coughed. 

Reverdy  gained  courage  to  go  on,  but  he  went  on  in 
the  same  strain,  whether  in  spite  of  himself  or  not. 
"  There  was  as  many  as  four  exhorters  keepun'  her  up 
at  once  to  difFrent  tunes,  and  prayun'  and  singun' 
everywhere,  so  you  couldn't  hear  yourself  think. 
Every  exhorter  had  a  mourners'  bench  in  front  of  him, 
and  I  counted  as  many  as  eighty  mourners  on  'em  at 
one  time.  The  most  of  'em  was  settun'  under  Elder 
Grove,  and  he  was  poundun'  the  kingdom  into  'em 
good  and  strong.  When  the  Spirit  took  him  he  roared 
so  that  he  had  the  Hounds  just  flaxed  out ;  you  could  n't 
ketch  a  yelp  from  'em." 

"  Many  Hounds  ?  "  Braile  asked,  in  a  sort  of  cold 
sympathy  with  the  riotous  outlaws  known  to  the  re 
ligious  by  that  name. 

"  Mought  been  'fore  I  got  there.  But  by  that  time 
I  reckon  they  was  most  of  'em  on  the  mourners' 
benches.  They  ought  to  tar  and  feather  some  of  them 
fellers,  or  ride  'em  on  a  rail  anyway,  comun'  round, 
and  makun'  trouble  on  the  edge  of  camp-meetun's.  I 
did  n't  hear  but  one  toot  from  their  horns,  last  night, 
and  either  because  the  elder  had  shamed  'em  back 
into  the  shadder  of  the  woods,  or  brought  'em  forwards 
into  the  light,  there  wasn't  a  Hound,  not  to  call  a 
Hound,  anywheres.  I  tell  you  it  was  a  sight,  Squire; 
you  ought  to  V  been  there  yourself."  Reverdy 
grinned  at  his  notion.  "  They  had  eight  camp-fires 

8 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

goun'  instead  o'  four,  on  top  of  the  highest  stageun's 
yit,  so  the  whole  place  was  lit  up  as  bright  as  day ;  and 
when  the  elder  stopped  short  and  sudden,  and  the 
other  exhorters  held  back  their  tommyhawks,  and  all 
the  saints  and  sinners  left  off  their  groanun'  and  jerkun' 
to  see  what  was  comun',  now  it  was  a  great  sight,  I 
tell  you,  Squire.  The  elder  he  put  up  his  hand  and 
says  he,  'Let  us  pray ! '  and  the  blaze  from  all  them 
stageun's  seemed  to  turn  itself  right  onto  him,  and  the 
smoke  and  the  leaves  hung  like  a  big  red  cloud  over 
him,  and  everybody  had  their  eyes  fastened  tight  on 
his  face,  like  they  could  n't  turn  'em  anywhere  else  if 
they  tried.  But  he  did  n't  begin  prayun'  straight  off. 
He  seemed  to  stop,  and  then  says  he,  '  What  shall  we 
pray  for? '  and  just  then  there  came  a  kind  of  a  snort, 
and  a  big  voice  shouted  out,  '  Salvation ! '  and  then 
there  come  another  snort, — f  Hooff! ' —  like  there  was 
a  scared  horse  got  loose  right  in  there  among  the  peo 
ple;  and  some  of  'em  jumped  up  from  their  seats,  and 
tumbled  over  the  benches,  and  some  of  'em  bounced 
off,  and  fell  into  fits,  and  the  women  screeched  and 
fainted,  thick  as  flies.  It  give  me  about  the  worst 
feelun'  I  ever  had  in  my  life:  went  through  me  like  a 
ax,  and  others  said  the  same ;  some  of  'em  said  it  was 
like  beun'  scared  in  the  dark,  or  more  like  when  you 
think  you  're  just  goun'  to  die." 

Abel  Reverdy  stopped  for  the  effect  on  Braile,  who 
had  been  smoking  tranquilly  throughout,  and  who  now 
asked  quietly,  "  And  what  was  it?" 

9 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  What  was  it  ?  A  man !  A  stranger  that  nobody 
seen  before,  and  nobody  suspicioned  was  there  till  they 
hearn  him  give  that  kind  of  snort,  and  they  seen  him 
standun'  right  in  front  of  the  mourners'  bench  under 
Elder  Grove's  pulpit.  [  He  was  in  his  bare  head,  and 
he  had  a  suit  of  long,  glossy,  jet-black  hair  hen  gun 
down  back  of  his  ears  clean  to  his  shoulders.  He  was 
kind  of  pale  like,  and  sad-lookun',  and  he  had  a  Roman 
nose  some  like  yourn,  and  eyes  like  two  coals,  just 
black  fire,  kind  of.  He  was  putty  thickset,  round  the 
shoulders,  but  he  slimmed  down  towards  his  legs,  and 
he  stood  about  six  feet  high.  But  the  thing  of  it," 
Reverdy  urged,  seeing  that  Braile  remained  outwardly 
unmoved,  "  was  the  way  he  was  dressed.  I  s'pose  the 
rest  beun'  all  in  brown  jeans,  and  linsey  woolsey,  made 
us  notice  it  more.  He  was  dressed  in  the  slickest  kind 
of  black  broadcloth,  with  a  long  frock-coat,  and  a  white 
cravat.  He  had  on  a  ruffled  shirt,  and  a  tall  bea 
ver  hat,  the  color  of  the  fur,  and  a  pair  of  these  here 
high  boots,  with  his  breeches  strapped  down  under 
'em." 

Braile  limbered  himself  from  his  splint-bottom  chair, 
and  came  forward  to  the  edge  of  the  porch,  as  if  to  be 
sure  of  spitting  quite  under  the  claybank's  body. 
Not  until  he  had  folded  himself  down  into  his  seat 
again  and  tilted  it  back  did  he  ask,  "  Coin'  to  order  a 
suit?" 

"  Oh,  well! "  said  Reverdy,  with  a  mingling  of  dis 
appointed  hope,  hurt  vanity,  and  involuntary  pleasure. 

10 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

If  he  had  been  deeply  moved  by  the  incident  which  he 
had  tried  to  make  Braile  see  with  his  own  sense  of  its 
impressiveness,  it  could  not  have  been  wholly  with  the 
hope  of  impressing  Braile  that  he  had  stopped  to  tell 
it.  His  notion  might  have  been  that  Braile  would 
ridicule  it,  and  so  help  him  throw  off  the  lingering 
hold  which  it  had  upon  him.  His  pain  and  his 
pleasure  both  came  from  Braile's  leaving  the  incident 
alone  and  turning  the  ridicule  upon  him.  That  was 
cruel,  and  yet  funny,  Reverdy  had  inwardly  to  own, 
as  it  touched  the  remoteness  from  a  full  suit  of  black 
broadcloth  represented  by  his  hickory  shirt  and  his  but 
ternut  trousers  held  up  by  a  single  suspender  passing 
over  his  shoulder  and  fastened  before  and  behind  with 
wooden  pegs.  His  straw  hat,  which  he  had  braided 
himself,  and  his  wife  had  sewed  into  shape  the  summer 
before,  was  ragged  round  the  brim,  and  a  tuft  of  his 
yellow  hair  escaped  through  a  break  in  the  crown.  It 
was  as  far  from  a  tall  hat  of  fur-colored  beaver  as  his 
bare  feet  were  from  a  pair  of  high  boots  such  as  the 
stranger  at  the  camp-meeting  had  worn,  though  his 
ankles  were  richly  shaded  in  three  colors  from  the 
road,  the  field,  and  the  barnyard.  He  liked  the  joke  so 
well  that  the  hurt  of  it  could  hardly  keep  him  from 
laughing  as  he  thumped  his  mare's  ribs  with  his  naked 
heels  and  bade  her  get  up. 

She  fetched  a  deep  sigh,  but  she  did  not  move. 

"  Better  light,"  Braile  said ;  "  you  would  n't  get  that 
corn  ground  in  time  for  breakfast,  now." 

ii 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  reckon,"  Reverdy  said  aloud,  but  to  himself, 
rather  than  Braile,  and  with  his  mind  on  his  wife  in 
the  log  cabin  where  he  had  left  her  in  high  rebellion 
which  she  promised  him  nothing  but  a  bag  of  cornmeal 
could  reduce,  "  she  don't  need  to  wait  for  me,  exactly. 
She  could  grate  herself  some  o'  the  new  corn,  and 
she 's  got  some  bacon,  anyway." 

"  Better  light,"  Braile  said  again. 

The  sound  of  frying  which  had  risen  above  their 
voices  within  had  ceased,  and  after  a  few  quick  move 
ments  of  feet  over  the  puncheon  floor,  with  some  click 
ing  of  knives  and  dishes,  the  feet  came  to  the  door 
opening  on  the  porch  and  a  handsome  elderly  woman 
looked  out. 

She  was  neatly  dressed  in  a  home-woven  linsey-wool 
sey  gown,  with  a  blue  check  apron  reaching  to  its  hem 
in  front,  and  a  white  cloth  passed  round  her  neck  and 
crossed  over  her  breast ;  she  had  a  cap  on  her  iron  gray 
hair. 

Braile  did  not  visibly  note  her  presence  in  saying, 
"  The  woman  will  want  to  hear  about  it." 

"Hear  about  what?"  his  wife  asked,  and  then  she 
said  to  Reverdy,  "  Good  morning,  Abel.  Won't  you 
light  and  have  breakfast  with  us?  It's  just  ready. 
I  reckon  Sally  will  excuse  you." 

"  Well,  she  will  if  you  say  so,  Mrs.  Braile."  Re 
verdy  made  one  action  of  throwing  his  leg  over  the 
clay-bank's  back  to  the  ground,  and  slipping  the  bridle 
over  the  smooth  peg  left  from  the  limb  of  the  young 

12 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

tree-trunk  which  formed  one  of  the  posts  of  the  porch. 
"My!"  he  said,  as  he  followed  his  hostess  indoors, 
"  you  do  have  things  nice.  I  never  come  here  without 
wantun'  to  have  my  old  shanty  whitewashed  inside  like 
yourn  is,  and  the  logs  plastered  outside;  the  mud  and 
moss  of  that  chinkun'  and  daubun'  keeps  fallun'  out, 
and  lettun'  all  the  kinds  of  weather  there  is  in  on  us, 
and  Sally  she 's  at  me  about  it,  too ;  she 's  wuss  'n  I  am, 
if  anything.  I  reckon  if  she  had  her  say  we  'd  have 
a  two-room  cabin,  too,  and  a  loft  over  both  parts,  like 
you  have,  Mis'  Braile,  or  a  frame  house,  even.  But  I 
don't  believe  anybody  but  you  could  keep  this  floor  so 
clean.  Them  knots  in  the  puncheons  just  shine !  And 
that  chimbly-piece  with  that  plaster  of  Paris  Samuel 
prayin'  in  it;  well,  if  Sally 's  as't  me  for  a  Samuel  once 
I  reckon  she  has  a  hundred  times ;  and  that  clock !  It 's 
a  pictur'."  He  looked  about  the  interior  as  he  took 
the  seat  offered  him  at  the  table,  and  praised  the  details 
of  the  furnishing  with  a  reference  to  the  effect  of  each 
at  home.  In  this  he  satisfied  that  obscure  fealty  of  the 
husband  who  feels  that  such  a  connection  of  the  ab 
sent  wife  with  some  actual  experience  of  his  is  equiva 
lent  to  their  joint  presence.  It  was  not  so  much  to 
praise  Mrs.  Braile's  belongings  to  her  as  to  propitiate 
the  idea  of  Mrs.  Reverdy  that  he  continued  his  flat 
teries.  In  the  meantime  Braile,  who  came  in  behind 
him,  stood  easing  himself  from  one  foot  to  the  other, 
with  an  ironical  eye  slanted  at  Reverdy  from  under 
his  shaggy  brows ;  he  dropped  his  head  r.ow?  and  began 

13 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

walking  up  and  down  the  room  while  he  listened  in  a 
sort  of  sarcastic  patience. 

"  Ain't  you  goin'  to  have  anything  to  eat,  Mr. 
Braile?  "  his  wife  demanded,  with  plaintive  severity. 

Braile  pulled  at  his  cob-pipe  which  muttered  respon- 
sively,  "  Not  so  long  as  I  've  got  anything  to  smoke. 
Gets  up,"  he  explained  to  Reverdy,  "  and  jerks  it  out 
of  my  mouth,  when  we  have  n't  got  company." 

"  I  reckon  Abel  knows  how  much  to  believe  of  that," 
Mrs.  Braile  commented,  and  Reverdy  gave  the  pleased 
chuckle  of  a  social  inferior  raised  above  his  level  by 
amiable  condescension.  But  as  if  he  thought  it  safest 
to  refuse  any  share  in  this  intimacy,  he  ended  his 
adulations  with  the  opinion,  "  I  should  say  that  if  these 
here  two  rooms  was  th'owed  together  they  'd  make 
half  as  much  as  the  Temple." 

Braile  stopped  in  his  walk  and  bent  his  frown  on 
Reverdy,  but  not  in  anger.  "  This  is  the  Temple : 
Temple  of  Justice  —  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Do  you 
people  think  there 's  only  one  kind  of  temple  in  Leather- 
wood?" 

Reverdy  gave  his  chuckle  again.  "  Well,  Squire,  I 
ought  to  know,  anyway,  all  the  log-rollin'  I  done  for 
you  last  'lection  time.  I  did  n't  hardly  believe  you  'd 
git  in,  because  they  said  you  was  a  infidel." 

"  Well,  you  could  n't  deny  it,  could  you  ?  "  Braile 
asked,  with  increasing  friendliness  in  his  frown. 

"  No,  I  could  n't  deny  it,  Squire.  But  the  way  I 
told  'em  to  look  at  it  was,  Mis'  Braile  was  Christian 

14 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

enough  for  the  whole  family.  Said  you  knowed  more 
law  and  she  knowed  more  gospel  than  all  the  rest  of 
Leatherwood  put  together." 

"And  that  was  what  elected  the  family,  was  it?" 
Braile  asked.  "  Well,  I  hope  Mrs.  Braile  won't  refuse 
to  serve,"  he  said,  and  he  began  his  walk  again.  "  Tell 
her  about  that  horse  that  broke  into  the  meetin'  last 
night,  and  tried  to  play  man." 

Reverdy  laughed,  shaking  his  head  over  his  plate  of 
bacon  and  reaching  for  the  corn-pone  which  Mrs. 
Braile  passed  him.  "  You  do  beat  all,  Squire,  the  way 
you  take  the  shine  off  of  religious  experience.  Why," 
he  addressed  himself  to  Mrs.  Braile,  "  it  was  n't  much, 
as  fur  as  anybody  could  make  out.  It  was  just  the 
queerness  of  the  whole  thing."  Reverdy  went  over  the 
facts  again,  beginning  with  deprecation  for  the  Squire 
but  gathering  respect  for  them  in  the  interest  they 
seemed  to  have  for  Mrs.  Braile. 

She  listened  silently,  and  then  she  asked,  "  And  what 
became  of  him.?  " 

"  Well,  that 's  where  you  got  me,  Mrs.  Braile. 
Don't  anybody  know  what  become  of  him.  Just  kind 
of  went  out  like  a  fire,  when  the  Power  was  workun' 
the  hardest,  and  was  n't  there  next  time  you  looked 
where  he  been.  Kind  o'  th'owed  cold  water  on  the 
meetun'  and  folks  begun  goun'  home,  and  breakun'  up 
and  turnun'  in;  well  it  was  pretty  nigh  sun-up,  any 
way,  by  that  time.  I  don't  know !  Made  me  feel  all- 
overish.  Seemed  like  I  'd  been  dreamun'  and  that  man 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

was  a  Vision."  Reverdy  had  lifted  an  enraptured 
face,  but  at  sight  of  Braile  pausing  in  sarcastic  pleas 
ure,  he  dropped  his  head  with  a  snicker.  "  I  know  the 
Squire  '11  laugh.  But  that 's  the  way  it  was." 

"  He  '11  laugh  the  other  side  of  his  mouth,  some  day, 
if  he  keeps  on,"  Mrs.  Braile  said  with  apparent  reproof 
and  latent  pride.  "  Was  Sally  at  the  meetin'  with 
you?" 

"  Well,  no,  she  was  n't,"  Reverdy  began,  and  Braile 
asked : 

"  And  did  you  wake  her  up  and  tell  her  about  it  ?  " 

"Well,  no,  I  didn't,  Squire,  that's  a  fact.  She 
woke  me  up.  I  just  crep'  in  quiet  and  felt  out  the  soft 
side  of  a  puncheon  for  a  nap,  and  the  firs'  thing  I  know 
was  Sally  havin'  me  by  the  shoulder,  and  wantun'  to 
know  about  gittun'  that  corn  groun'  for  break  fas'. 
My !  I  don't  know  w7hat  she  '11  say,  when  I  do  git 
back."  Reverdy  laughed  a  fearful  pleasure,  but  his 
gaiety  was  clouded  by  a  shadow  projected  from  the 
cabin  door. 

"  Well,  I  mought  V  knowed  it ! "  a  voice  at  once 
fond  and  threatening  called  to  Reverdy's  quailing  fig 
ure.  The  owner  of  the  voice  was  a  young  woman  un 
kempt  as  to  the  pale  hair  which  escaped  from  the  knot 
at  her  neck,  and  stuck  out  there  and  dangled  about 
her  face  in  spite  of  the  attempts  made  to  gather  it  un 
der  the  control  of  the  high  horn  comb  holding  its  main 
strand§  together.  The  lankness  of  her  long  figure 

16 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

showed  in  the  calico  wrapper  which  seemed  her  sole 
garment;  and  her  large  features  were  respectively 
lank  in  their  way,  nose  and  chin  and  high  cheek  bones ; 
her  eyes  wabbled  in  their  sockets 'with  the  sort  of 
inquiring  laughter  that  spread  her  wide,  loose  mouth. 
She  was  barefooted,  like  Reverdy,  on  whom  her  eyes 
rested  with  a  sort  of  burlesque  menace,  so  that  she 
could  not  turn  them  to  Mrs.  Braile  in  the  attention 
which  manners  required  of  her,  even  when  she  added, 
"  I  just  'spicioned  that  he  'd  V  turned  in  here,  soon  's 
I  smelt  your  breakfas',  Mrs.  Braile;  and  the  dear  knows 
whether  I  blame  him  so  much,  nuther." 

"  Then  you  'd  better  draw  up  too,  Sally,"  Mrs.  Braile 
said,  without  troubling  herself  to  rise  from  her  own 
chair  in  glancing  toward  another  for  Mrs.  Reverdy. 

"  Oh,  no,  I  could  n't,  Mrs.  Braile.  I  on'y  just  meant 
how  nice  it  smelt.  I  got  me  somepin  at  home  before 
I  left,  and  I  ain't  a  bit  hungry." 

"  Well,  then,  you  eat  breakfast  for  me;  I  'm  hun 
gry,"  the  Squire  said.  "  Sit  down !  You  could  n't  get 
Abel  away  now,  not  if  you  went  on  an  hour.  Don't 
separate  families ! " 

"  Well,  just  as  you  say,  Squire,"  Mrs.  Reverdy  snick 
ered,  and  she  submitted  to  pull  up  the  chair  which  Mrs. 
Braile's  glance  had  suggested.  "  It  beats  all  what  a 
excitement  there  is  in  this  town  about  the  goun's  on  at 
the  camp-meetun',  last  night.  If  I  've  heard  it  from 
one  I  've  heard  it  from  a  dozen.  I  s'pose  Abel 's  tol' 

17 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

you?" — she  addressed  herself  impartially  to  Mrs. 
Braile  across  the  table  and  to  the  Squire  tilted  against 
the  wall  in  his  chair,  smoking  behind  his  wife. 

"  Not  a  word,"  the  Squire  said,  and  his  wife  did  not 
trouble  herself  to  protest;  Reverdy  opened  his  mouth 
in  a  soundless  laugh  at  the  Squire's  humor,  and  then 
filled  it  with  bacon  and  corn-pone,  and  ducked  his  head 
in  silence  over  his  plate.  "  What  goings  on  ?  " 

"  Why,  that  man  that  came  in  while  Elder  Grove 
was  snatchun'  the  brands  from  the  burnun',  and 
snorted  like  a  horse  —  But  I  know  Abel 's  tol'  you ! 
It 's  just  like  one  of  your  jokes,  Squire  Braile ;  ain't  it, 
Mrs.  Braile  ?  "  Sally  referred  herself  to  one  and  the 
other. 

"  You  won't  get  either  of  us  to  say,  Sally,"  Mrs. 
Braile  let  the  Squire  answer  for  both.  "  You  'cl  bet 
ter  go  on.  I  could  n't  hear  too  often  about  a  man  that 
snorted  like  a  horse,  if  Abel  did  tell.  What  did  the 
horses  hitched  back  of  the  tents  think  about  it?  Any 
of  'em  try  to  shout  like  a  man?  " 

"  Well,  you  may  laugh,  Squire  Braile,"  Sally  said 
with  a  toss  of  her  head  for  the  dignity  she  failed  of. 
She  slumped  forward  with  a  laugh,  and  when  she  lifted 
her  head  she  said  through  the  victual  that  filled  her 
mouth,  "  I  dunno  what  the  horses  thought,  but  the 
folks  believe  it  was  a  apostle,  or  somepin." 

"Who  said  so?    Abel?" 

"  Oh,  pshaw!  D' you  suppose  I  b'lieve  anythin' 
Abel  Reverdy  says?"  and  this  gave  Reverdy  a  joy 

18 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

which  she  shared  with  him;  he  tried  to  impart  it  to 
Mrs.  Braile,  impassively  pouring  him  a  third  cup  of 
coffee.  "  I  jes'  met  Mis'  Leonard  comun'  up  the  cross 
road,  and  she  tol'  me  she  saw  our  claybank  hitched 
here,  and  I  s'picioned  Abel  was  'nt  fur  off,  and  that 's 
why  I  stopped." 

The  husband  and  wife  looked  across  the  table  in 
feigned  fear  and  threat  that  gave  them  pleasure  beyond 
speech. 

"  She  did  n't  say  it  was  your  claybank  that 
snorted?  "  the  Squire  gravely  inquired. 

"  Squire  Braile,  you  surely  will  kill  me/'  and  the 
husband  joined  the  wife  in  a  shout  of  laughter. 
"  Now  I  can't  hardly  git  back  to  what  she  did  say. 
But,  I  can  tell  you,  it  was  n't  nawthun'  to  laugh  at. 
Plenty  of  'em  keeled  over  where  they  sot,  and  a  lot 
bounced  up  and  down  like  it  was  a  earthquake  and 
pretty  near  all  the  women  screamed.  But  he  stood 
there,  straight  as  a  ramrod,  and  never  moved  a  eye- 
winker.  She  said  his  face  was  somepin  awful :  just 
as  solemn  and  still!  He  never  spoke  after  that  one 
word  '  Salvation,'  but  every  once  in  a  while  he  snorted. 
Nobody  seen  him  come  in,  or  ever  seen  him  before  till 
he  first  snorted,  and  then  they  did  n't  see  anybody  else. 
The  preacher,  he  preached  along,  and  tried  to  act  like 
as  if  nowthun'  had  happened,  but  it  was  no  use;  no 
body  didn't  hardly  pay  no  attention  to  him  'ceptun' 
the  stranger  himself;  he  never  took  his  eyes  off  Elder 
Grove;  some  thought  he  was  tryun'  to  charm  him, 

19 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

like  a  snake  does  a  bird ;  but  it  did  n't  faze  the  elder." 

"  Elder  too  old  a  bird  ?  "  the  Squire  suggested. 

"  Yes,  I  reckon  he  mought  been,"  Sally  innocently 
assented. 

"  And  when  he  gave  the  benediction,  the  snorter  dis 
appeared  in  a  flash,  with  a  strong  smell  of  brimstone, 
I  suppose  ? " 

"  Why,  that  was  the  thing  of  it,  Squire.  He  just 
stayed,  and  shuck  hands  with  everybody,  pleasant  as 
a  basket  of  chips;  and  he  went  home  with  David  Gil- 
lespie.  He  was  just  as  polite  to  the  poorest  person 
there,  but  it  was  the  big  bugs  that  tuck  the  most  to 
him/' 

"  Well,"  the  Squire  summed  up,  "  I  don't  see  but 
what  your  reports  agree,  and  I  reckon  there  must  be 
some  truth  in  'em.  Who  's  that  up  there  at  the  pike- 
crossing?"  He  did  not  trouble  himself  to  do  more 
than  frown  heavily  in  the  attempt  to  make  out  the 
passer.  Mrs.  Reverdy  jumped  from  her  chair  and 
ran  out  to  look. 

"  Well,  as  sure  as  I  'm  alive,  if  it  ain't  that  Gillespie 
girl !  I  bet  she  '11  know  all  about  it.  I  '11  just  ketch 
up  with  her  and  git  the  news  out  of  her,  if  there  is 
any.  Say,  say,  Jane ! "  she  called  to  the  girl,  as  she 
ran  up  the  road  with  the  cow-like  gait  which  her  swirl 
ing  skirt  gave  her.  The  girl  stopped  for  her;  then 
in  apparent  haste  she  moved  on  again,  and  Sally  moved 
with  her  out  of  sight;  her  voice  still  made  itself  heard 
in  uncouth  cries  and  laughter. 

20 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Braile  called  into  the  kitchen  where  Reverdy  had  re 
mained  in  the  enjoyment  of  Mrs.  Braile' s  patient  hos 
pitality,  "  Here 's  your  chance,  Abel !  " 

"Chance?"  Reverdy  questioned  back  with  a  full 
mouth. 

"  To  get  that  corn  of  yours  ground,  and  beat  Sally 
home." 

"  Well,  Squire,"  Reverdy  said,  "  I  reckon  you  're 
right."  He  came  out  into  the  open  space  where  Braile 
sat.  "  Well,  I  won't  fergit  this  breakfast  very  soon," 
he  offered  his  gratitude  to  Mrs.  Braile  over  his  shoul 
der,  as  he  passed  through  the  door. 

"  You  're  welcome,  Abel,"  she  answered  kindly,  and 
when  he  had  made  his  manners  to  the  impassive  Squire 
and  mounted  his  claybank  and  thumped  the  horse  into 
motion  with  his  naked  heels,  she  came  out  into  the 
porch  and  said  to  her  husband,  "  I  don't  know  as  I 
liked  your  hinting  him  out  of  the  house  that  way." 

Braile  did  not  take  the  point  up,  but  remained 
thoughtfully  smiling  in  the  direction  his  guest  had 
taken.  "  The  idea  is  that  most  people  marry  their 
opposites,"  he  remarked,  "  and  that  gives  the  children 
the  advantage  of  inheriting  their  folly  from  two  kinds 
of  fools.  But  Abel  and  Sally  are  a  perfect  pair,  men 
tal  and  moral  twins ;  the  only  thing  they  don't  agree  in 
is  their  account  of  what  became  of  that  snorting  ex- 
horter.  But  the  difference  there  is  n't  important.  If 
an  all-wise  Providence  has  kept  them  from  transmit 
ting  a  double  dose  of  the  same  brand  of  folly  to  pos- 

21 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

terity,  that 's  one  thing  in  favor  of  Providence."  He 
took  up  his  wife's  point  now.  "  If  I  had  n't  hinted 
him  away,  he'd  have  stayed  to  dinner;  you  wouldn't 
have  hinted  him  away  if  he  'd  stayed  to  supper." 

"  Well,  are  you  going  to  have  some  breakfast?  "  his 
wife  asked.  "  I  '11  get  you  some  fresh  coffee." 

"  Well,  I  would  like  a  little  —  with  the  bead  on  — 
Martha,  that 's  a  fact.  Have  I  got  time  for  another 
pipe?" 

"  No,  I  don't  reckon  you  have,"  his  wife  said,  and 
she  passed  into  the  kitchen  again,  where  she  continued 
to  make  such  short  replies  as  Braile's  discourse  re 
quired  of  her. 

He  knocked  his  pipe  out  on  the  edge  of  his  still 
uptilted  chair,  as  he  talked.  "  One  fool  like  Abel  I 
can  stand,  and  I  was  just  going  to  come  in  when  Sally 
came  in  sight;  and  then  I  knew  that  two  fools  like 
Abel  would  make  me  sick.  So  I  waited  till  the  Creator 
of  heaven  and  earth  could  get  a  minute  off  and  help 
me  out.  But  He  seemed  pretty  busy  with  the  solar 
system  this  morning,  and  I  had  about  given  up  when 
He  sent  that  Gillespie  girl  in  sight.  I  knew  that  would 
fetch  Sally;  but  it  was  an  inspiration  of  my  own  to 
suggest  Abel's  chance  to  him ;  I  don't  want  to  put  that 
on  your  Maker,  Martha," 

"  It  was  your  inspiration  to  get  him  to  stay  in  the 
first  place,"  Mrs.  Braile  said  within. 

"No,  Martha;  that  was  my  unfailing  obedience  to 
the  sacred  laws  of  hospitality;  I  didn't  expect  to  fall 

22 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

under  their  condemnation  a  second  time,  though." 
Mrs.  Braile  did  not  answer,  and  by  the  familiar  scent 
from  within,  Braile  knew  that  his  coffee  must  be  nearly 
ready.  As  he  dropped  his  chair  forward,  he  heard  a 
sound  of  frying,  and  "  Pshaw,  Martha ! "  he  called. 
"  You  're  not  getting  me  some  fresh  bacon  ?  " 

"Did  you  suppose  there 'd  be  some  left?"  she  de 
manded,  while  she  stepped  to  and  fro  at  her  labors. 
Her  steps  ceased  and  she  called,  "  Well,  come  in  now, 
Matthew,  if  you  don't  want  everything  to  get  cold, 
like  the  pone  is." 

Braile  obeyed,  saying,  "  Oh,  I  can  stand  cold  pone," 
and  at  sight  of  the  table  with  the  coffee  and  bacon  re 
newed  upon  it,  he  mocked  tenderly,  "  Now  just  to  re 
ward  you,  Martha,  I  've  got  half  a  mind  to  go  with 
you  to  the  next  meeting  in  the  Temple." 

"  I  don't  know  as  I  'm  goin'  myself,"  she  said,  pour 
ing  the  coffee. 

"  I  wish  you  would,  just  to  please  me,"  he  teased. 


II 

NO  one  could  say  quite  how  it  happened  that  the 
stranger  went  home  from  the  camp-meeting  with 
old  David  Gillespie  and  his  girl.  Many  had  come 
forward  with  hospitable  offers,  and  the  stranger  had 
been  affable  with  all;  but  he  had  slipped  through  the 
hands  he  shook  and  had  parried  the  invitations  made 
him.  Gillespie  had  not  seemed  to  invite  him,  and  his 
shy  daughter  had  shrunk  aside  when  the  chief  citizens 
urged  their  claims ;  yet  the  stranger  went  with  them  to 
their  outlying  farm,  and  spent  all  the  next  day  there 
alone  in  the  tall  woods  that  shut  its  corn  fields  in. 

Sally  Reverdy  had  failed  to  get  any  light  from  the 
Gillespie  girl  when  she  ran  out  from  Squire  Braile's 
cabin.  The  girl  seemed  still  under  the  spell  that  had 
fallen  upon  many  at  the  meeting,  and  it  appeared  to 
Sally  that  she  did  not  want  to  talk ;  at  any  rate  she  did 
not  talk  to  any  satisfactory  end.  A  squirrel  hunter 
believed  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  stranger  in 
the  chestnut  woods  behind  the  Gillespie  spring-house, 
but  he  was  not  a  man  whose  oath  was  acceptable  in  the 
community  and  his  belief  was  not  generally  shared.  It 
was  thought  that  the  stranger  would  reappear  at  the 
last  night  of  the  camp-meeting,  but  the  Gillespies  came 

24 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

without  him,  and  reported  that  they  had  expected  he 
would  come  by  himself. 

The  camp-meeting  broke  up  after  the  Sunday  morn 
ing  service  and  most  of  the  worshipers,  sated  with 
their  devotional  experience,  went  home,  praising  the 
Power  in  song  as  they  rode  away  in  the  wagons  laden 
with  their  camp  furniture,  and  their  children  strewn 
over  the  bedding.  But  for  others,  the  fire  of  the  re 
vival  burned  through  the  hot,  long,  August  Sabbath 
day,  and  a  devout  congregation  crowded  the  Temple. 

The  impulse  of  the  week  past  held  over  to  the  night 
unabated.  The  spacious  log-built  house  was  packed 
from  wall  to  wall ;  the  men  stood  dense ;  the  seats  were 
filled  with  women;  only  a  narrow  path  was  left  below 
the  pulpit  for  those  who  might  wish  to  rise  and  confess 
Christ  before  the  congregation.  The  people  waited  in 
a  silence  broken  by  their  deep  breathing,  their  devout 
whispering,  the  scraping  of  their  feet;  now  and  then 
a  babe,  whose  mother  could  not  leave  it  at  home,  wailed 
pitifully  or  spitefully  till  it  was  coaxed  or  scolded  still; 
now  and  then  some  one  coughed.  The  air  was  thick; 
a  bat  scandalized  the  assemblage  by  flying  in  at  the 
open  door,  and  wavering  round  the  tallow  candles  on 
the  pulpit;  one  of  the  men  beat  it  down  with  his  hat, 
and  then  picked  it  up  and  crowded  his  way  down  the 
aisle,  out  into  the  night  with  it.  When  he  came  back 
it  was  as  if  he  had  found  the  stranger  whom  they 
were  all  consciously  expecting,  and  had  brought  him 
in  with  David  Gillespie  and  his  girl.  She  was  tall 

25 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

and  straight,  like  her  father,  and  her  hair  was  red,  like 
his;  her  eyes  were  gray  blue,  and  the  look  in  them 
was  both  wilful  and  dreamy. 

The  stranger  smiled  and  took  the  hands  stretched 
out  to  him  in  passing  by  several  of  the  different  sec 
tarians  who  used  the  Temple.  Grllespie  seemed  not  to 
notice  or  to  care  for  the  greetings  to  his  guest,  and  his 
girl  wore  her  wonted  look  of  vague  aloofness. 

Matthew  Braile  had  been  given  a  seat  at  the  front, 
perhaps  in  deference  to  his  age  and  dignity;  perhaps 
in  confusion  at  his  presence.  He  glanced  up  at  the 
stranger  with  a  keen  glint  through  his  branching  eye 
brows,  and  made  a  guttural  sound;  his  wife  pushed 
him ;  and  he  said ;  "  What  ?  "  and  "  Oh !  "  quite  audibly ; 
and  she  pushed  him  again  for  answer. 

The  Gillespies  sat  down  with  the  stranger  in  the 
foremost  bench.  He  wore  the  black  broadcloth  coat 
of  the  Friday  night  before;  his  long  hair,  combed  back 
from  his  forehead,  fell  down  his  shoulders  almost  to 
his  middle;  the  glances  of  his  black  eyes  roved  round 
the  room,  but  were  devoutly  lowered  at  the  prayer 
which  opened  the  service.  It  was  a  Methodist  who 
preached,  but  somehow  to-night  he  had  not  the  fervor 
of  his  sect;  his  sermon  was  cold,  and  addressed  itself 
to  the  faith  rather  than  the  hope  of  his  hearers.  He' 
spoke  as  from  the  hold  of  an  oppressive  spell ;  at  times 
he  was  perplexed,  and  lost  his  place  in  his  exhortation. 
In  the  close  heat  some  drowsed,  and  the  preacher  was 
distracted  by  snoring  from  a  corner  near  the  door.  He 

26 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

lifted  his  voice  as  if  to  rouse  the  sleeper,  or  to  drown 
the  noise;  but  he  could  not.  He  came  to  the  blessing 
at  last,  and  the  disappointed  congregation  rose  to  go 
out.  Suddenly  the  loud  snort  that  had  dismayed  the 
camp-meeting  sounded  through  the  heavy  air,  and  then 
there  came  the  thrilling  shout  of  "  Salvation." 

The  people  did  not  need  to  look  where  the  stranger 
had  been  sitting;  he  had  done  what  they  hoped,  what 
they  expected,  and  he  was  now  towering  over  those 
near  him,  with  his  head  thrown  back,  and  his  hair 
tossed  like  a  mane  on  his  shoulders.  The  people 
stopped;  some  who  had  gone  out  crowded  in  again; 
no  one  knew  quite  what  to  do.  The  minister  halted 
on  the  pulpit  stairs ;  he  had  done  his  part  for  the  night, 
and  he  did  not  apparently  resent  the  action  of  the 
man  who  now  took  it  on  him  to  speak. 

A  tall,  stout  man  among  those  who  had  lingered, 
spoke  from  the  aisle.  He  was  the  owner  of  the  largest 
farm  in  the  neighborhood  and  he  had  one  of  the  mills 
on  the  creek.  In  his  quality  of  miller  everybody  knew 
him,  and  he  had  the  authority  of  a  public  character. 
Now  he  said: 

"  We  want  to  hear  something  more  than  a  snort  and 
a  shout  from  our  brother  here.  We  heard  them  Fri 
day  night,  and  we  've  been  talkin'  about  it  ever  since." 

The  appeal  was  half  joking,  half  entreating.  The 
minister  was  still  hesitating  on  the  pulpit  stairs,  and  he 
looked  at  the  stranger.  "  Will  you  come  up, 
Brother — " 

27 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Call  me  Dylks  —  for  the  present/'  the  stranger 
answered  with  a  full  voice. 

"  Brother  Dylks,"  the  minister  repeated,  and  he  cacne 
down,  and  gave  him  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

The  Gillespies  looked  on  with  their  different  in 
difference.  Dylks  turned  to  them :  "  Shall  I  speak  ?  " 

"  Speak !  "  the  girl  said,  but  her  father  said  nothing. 

Dylks  ran  quickly  up  the  pulpit  steps :  "  We  will 
join  in  prayer !  "  he  called  out,  and  he  held  the  congre 
gation,  now  returned  to  their  places,  in  the  spell  of  a 
quick,  short  supplication.  He  ended  it  with  the  Lord's 
Prayer ;  then  he  said,  "  Let  us  sing,"  and  line  after  line 
he  gave  out  the  hymn, 

"Plunged  in  a  gulf  of  dark  despair 
We  wretched  sinners  lay." 

He  expounded  each  stanza,  as  to  the  religious  sense 
and  the  poetic  meaning,  before  he  led  the  singing.  He 
gave  out  a  passage  of  Scripture,  as  a  sort  of  text,  but 
he  did  not  keep  to  it ;  he  followed  with  other  passages, 
and  his  discourse  was  a  rehearsal  of  these  rather  than 
a  sermon.  His  memory  in  them  was  unerring;  women 
who  knew  their  Bibles  by  heart  sighed  their  satisfac 
tion  in  his  perfectness ;  they  did  not  care  for  the  rele 
vance  or  irrelevance  of  the  passages ;  all  was  Scripture, 
all  was  the  one  inseparable  Word  of  God,  dreadful, 

:  blissful,   divine,   promising  heaven,   threatening  hell. 

>  Groans  began  to  go  up  from  the  people  held  in  the 
strong  witchery  of  the  man's  voice.  They  did  not  know 

28 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

whether  he  spoke  long  or  not.  Before  they  knew,  he 
was  as  if  sweeping  them  to  their  feet  with  a  repetition 
of  his  opening  hymn,  and  they  were  singing  with  him : 

"Plunged  in  a  gulf  of  dark  despair 
We  wretched  sinners  lay." 

It  ended,  and  he  gave  his  wild  brutish  snort,  and  then 
his  heart-shaking  cry  of  "Salvation!" 

Some  of  the  chief  men  remained  to  speak  with  him, 
to  contend  for  him  as  their  guest;  but  old  David  Gil- 
lespie  did  not  contend  with  them.  "  You  can  have 
him,"  he  said  to  the  miller,  Peter  Kingston,  "  if  he 
wants  to  go  with  you."  He  was  almost  rude,  and  his 
daughter  was  not  opener  with  the  women  who  crowded 
about  her  trying  to  make  her  say  something  that  would 
feed  their  hunger  to  know  more.  She  remained  hard 
and  cold,  almost  dumb ;  it  seemed  to  them  that  she  was 
not  worthy  to  have  had  him  under  her  father's  roof. 
As  for  her  father,  they  had  no  patience  with  him  for 
not  putting  in  a  word  to  claim  the  stranger  while  the 
others  were  pressing  him  to  come  home  with  them.  In 
spite  of  the  indifference  of  Gillespie  and  his  girl,  Dylks 
elected  to  remain  with  them,  and  when  he  could  pull 
himself  from  the  crowd  he  went  away  into  the  night 
between  them. 

When  Matthew  Braile  made  his  escape  with  his  wife 
from  the  crowd  and  began  to  walk  home  through  the 
dim,  hot  night,  he  said,  "  Is  Jane  Gillespie  any  particu 
lar  hand  at  fried  chicken?  " 

29 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Now  you  stop,  Matthew ! "  his  wife  said. 

"  Because  that  would  account  for  it.  I  reckon  it 
was  fried  chicken  the  ravens  brought  to  Elijah.  All 
men  of  God  are  fond  of  fried  chicken." 

His  wife  would  not  dispute  directly  with  his  per 
versity;  she  knew  that  in  this  mood  of  his  it  would  be 
useless  trying  to  make  him  partake  the  wonder  she 
shared  with  her  neighbors  that  the  stranger  had  chosen 
David  Gillespie  again  for  his  host  out  of  the  many  lead 
ing  men  who  had  pressed  their  hospitality  upon  him, 
and  that  he  should  have  preferred  his  apathy  to  their 
eagerness. 

"  I  wish  he  had  worn  his  yellow  beaver  hat  in  the 
pulpit,"  Braile  went  on.  "  It  must  have  been  a  dis 
appointment  to  Abe  Reverdy,  but  perhaps  he  consoled 
himself  with  a  full  sight  of  the  fellow's  long  hair. 
He  ought  to  part  it  in  the  middle,  like  Thomas  Jeffer 
son,  and  do  it  up  in  a  knot  like  a  woman.  Well,  we 
can't  have  everything,  even  in  a  man  of  God;  but 
maybe  he  isn't  really  a  man  of  God.  That  would 
account  for  a  good  many  things.  But  I  think  he  shows 
taste  in  preferring  old  Gillespie  to  Peter  Kingston; 
next  to  Abe  Reverdy  he  's  the  biggest  fool  in  Leather- 
wood.  Maybe  the  prophet  knew  by  instinct  that  there 
would  be  better  fried  chicken  at  Gillespie's." 

His  wife  disdained  to  make  a  direct  answer.  "  You 
may  be  sure  they  give  him  of  their  best,  whatever  it 
is.  And  the  Gillespies  may  be  poor,  but  when  it  comes 
to  respectability  and  good  works  they  Ve  got  a  right  to 

30 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

hold  their  heads  up  with  the  best  in  this  settlement. 
That  girl  has  done  all  the  work  of  the  house  since 
her  mother  died,  when  she  wasn't  a  little  thing  half 
grown ;  and  old  David  has  slaved  off  his  mortgage  till 
his  farm  's  free  and  clear ;  and  he  don't  owe  anybody 
a  cent." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  say  anything  against  Gillespie ;  all  I 
say  is  that  Brother  Dylks  knows  which  side  his  bread 
is  buttered  on;  inspired,  probably." 

"What  makes  you  so  bitter,  to-night,  Matthew?" 
his  wife  halted  him  a  little,  with  her  question. 

"  Well,  the  Temple  always  leaves  a  bad  taste  in  my 
mouth.  I  hate  to  see  brethren  agreeing  together  in 
unity.  You  ought  n't  to  have  taken  me,  Martha." 

"  I  '11  never  take  you  again !  "  she  said. 

"And  that  man's  a  rascal,  if  ever  there  was  one. 
Real  men  of  God  don't  wear  their  hair  down  to  their 
waists  and  come  snorting  and  shouting  in  black  broad 
cloth  to  a  settlement  like  this  for  the  good  of  folks' 
souls." 

"  You  've  got  no  right  to  say  that,  Matthew.  And 
if  you  go  round  talking  that  way  you  '11  make  yourself 
more  unpopular  than  you  are  already." 

"  Oh,  I  '11  be  careful,  Martha.  I  '11  just  think  it,  and 
perhaps  put  two  or  three  of  the  leading  intellects  like 
Abe  and  Sally  on  their  guard.  But  come,  come,  Mar 
tha  !  You  know  as  well  as  I  do,  he  's  a  rascal.  Don't 
you  believe  it  ?  " 

"  I  believe  in  giving  everybody  a  chance.     Don't 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

your  own  law  books  say  a  man  's  innocent  till  he 's 
proved  guilty?  " 

"  Something  like  that.  And  I  'm  not  trying  Brother 
Dylks  in  open  court  at  present.  I  '11  give  him  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt  if  he  's  ever  brought  before  my 
judgment  seat.  But  you  've  got  to  allow  that  his  long 
hair  and  black  broadcloth  and  his  snort  and  shout  are 
against  him." 

"  I  don't  believe  in  them  any  more  than  you  do," 
she  owned.  "  But  don't  you  persecute  him  because 
he  's  religious,  Matthew." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  object  to  him  because  he  's  religious, 
though  I  think  there  's  more  religion  in  Leather  wood 
already  than  any  ten  towns  would  know  what  to  do 
with.  He  's  got  to  do  more  than  preach  his  brand  of 
religion  before  I  'd  want  to  trouble  him." 

They  were  at  the  hewn  log  which  formed  the  step  to 
the  porch  between  the  rooms  of  their  cabin.  A  lank 
hound  rose  from  the  floor,  and  pulled  himself  back 
from  his  forward-planted  paws,  and  whimpered  a  wel 
come  to  them ;  a  captive  coon  rattled  his  chain  from  his 
corner  under  the  porch  roof. 

"  Why  don't  you  let  that  poor  thing  go,  Matthew?  " 
Mrs.  Braile  asked. 

"Well,  I  will,  some  day.  But  the  little  chap  that 
brought  it  to  me  was  like  our  — " 

He  stopped ;  both  were  thinking  the  same  thing  and 
knew  they  were.  "  I  saw  the  likeness  from  the  first, 
too,"  the  wife  said. 

32 


Ill  f 

THE  Gillespies  arrived  at  their  simpler  log  cabin 
half  an  hour  later  than  the  Brailes  at  theirs.  It 
was  on  the  border  of  the  settlement,  and  beyond  it  for 
a  mile  there  was  nothing  but  woods,  walnut  and  chest 
nut  and  hickory,  not  growing  thickly  as  the  primeval 
forest  grew  to  the  northward  along  the  lake,  but  stand 
ing  openly  about  in  the  pleasant  park-like  freedom  of 
the  woods-pastures  of  that  gentler  latitude.  Beyond 
the  wide  stretch  of  trees  and  meadow  lands,  the  corn 
fields  and  tobacco  patches  opened  to  the  sky  again. 
On  their  farther  border  stood  a  new  log  cabin,  defined 
by  its  fresh  barked  logs  in  the  hovering  dark. 

Gillespie  pulled  the  leatherwood  latch-string  which 
lifted  the  catch  of  his  door,  and  pushed  it  open.  "  Go 
in,  Jane,"  he  said  to  his  daughter,  and  the  girl  vanished 
slimly  through,  with  a  glance  over  her  shoulder  at 
Dylks  where  he  stood  aloof  a  few  steps  from  her 
father. 

Gillespie  turned  to  his  guest.  "  Did  you  see  her?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Yes,  I  walked  over  to  her  house  this  morning." 

"  Did  any  one  see  you?  " 

"  No.     Her  man  was  away." 

33 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Gillespie  turned  with  an  effect  of  helplessness,  and 
looked  down  at  the  wood-pile  where  he  stood.  "  I 
don't  know,"  he  said,  "  what  keeps  me  from  spliting 
your  head  open  with  that  ax." 

"  I  do,"  Dylks  said. 

"Man!"  the  old  man  threatened,  "Don't  go  too 
far." 

"  It  was  n't  the  fear  of  God  which  you  pretend  is 
in  your  heart,  but  the  fear  of  man."  Dylks  added  with 
a  vulgar  drop  from  the  solemn  words,  "  You  would 
hang  for  it.  I  haven't  put  myself  in  your  power 
without  counting  all  the  costs  to  both  of  us." 

Gillespie  waved  his  answer  off  with  an  impatient 
hand. 

"  Did  she  know  you  ?  " 

"  Why  not  ?  It  has  n't  been  so  long.  I  have  n't 
changed  so  much.  I  wear  my  hair  differently,  and  I 
dress  better  since  I  Ve  been  in  Philadelphia.  She  knew 
me  in  a  minute  as  well  as  I  knew  her.  I  did  n't  ask 
for  her  present  husband ;  I  thought  one  at  a  time  was 
enough." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?  " 

"  Nothing  —  first.  I  might  have  told  her  she  had 
been  in  a  hurry.  But  if  she  don't  bother  me,  I  won't 
her.  We  got  as  far  as  that.  And  I  reckon  she  won't, 
but  I  thought  we  'd  better  have  a  clear  understanding, 
and  she  knows  now  it 's  bigamy  in  her  case,  and  big 
amy  's  a  penitentiary  offense.  I  made  that  clear. 
And  now  see  here,  David :  I  'm  going  to  stay  here  in 

34 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

this  settlement,  and  I  don't  want  any  trouble  from  you, 
no  matter  what  you  think  of  my  doings,  past,  present, 
or  future.  I  don't  want  you  to  say  anything,  or  look 
anything.  Don't  you  let  on,  even  to  that  girl  of  yours, 
that  you  ever  saw  me  before  in  your  life.  If  you  do, 
you  '11  wish  you  had  split  my  head  open  with  that 
ax.  But  I  'm  not  afraid;  I  've  got  you  safe,  and  I  've 
got  your  sister  safe." 

Gillespie  groaned.  Then  he  said  desperately,  "  Lis 
ten  here,  Joseph  Dylks!  I  know  what  you're  after, 
here,  because  you  always  was :  other  people's  money. 
I  've  got  three  hundred  dollars  saved  up  since  I  paid 
off  the  mortgage.  If  you  '11  take  it  and  go  — " 

"  Three  hundred  dollars !  No,  no !  Keep  your 
money,  old  man.  I  don't  rob  the  poor."  Dylks  lifted 
himself,  and  said  with  that  air  of  mysterious  mastery 
which  afterwards  won  so  many  to  his  obedience,  "  I 
work  my  work.  Let  no  man  gainsay  me  or  hinder 
me."  He  walked  to  and  fro  in  the  starlight,  swelling, 
with  his  head  up  and  his  mane  of  black  hair  cloudily 
flying  over  his  shoulders  as  he  turned.  "  I  come  from 
God." 

Gillespie  looked  at  him  as  he  paced  back  and  forth. 
"  If  I  did  n't  know  you  for  a  common  scoundrel  that 
married  my  sister  against  my  will,  and  lived  on  her 
money  till  it  was  gone,  and  then  left  her  and  let  her 
believe  he  was  dead,  I  might  believe  you  did  come  from 
God  —  or  the  Devil,  you  — -  you  turkey  cock,  you  stal 
lion!  But  you  can't  prance  me  down,  or  snort  me 

35 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

down.  I  don't  agree  to  anything.  I  don't  say  I  won't 
tell  who  you  are  when  it  suits  me.  I  won't  promise  to 
keep  it  from  this  one  or  that  one  or  any  one.  I  '11  let 
you  go  just  so  far,  and  then  — " 

"  All  right,  David,  I  '11  trust  you,  as  I  trust  your 
sister.  Between  you  I  'm  safe.  And  now,  you  lay 
low !  That 's  my  advice."  He  dropped  from  his  mys 
tery  and  his  mastery  to  a  level  of  colloquial  teasing. 
"  I  'm  going  to  rest  under  your  humble  roof  to-night, 
and  to-morrow  I  'm  going  to  the  mansion  of  Peter 
Kingston.  His  gates  will  be  set  wide  for  me,  and  all 
the  double  log-cabin  palaces  and  frame  houses  of  this 
royal  city  of  Leatherwood  will  hunger  for  my  presence. 
You  could  always  hold  your  tongue,  David,  and  you 
can  easily  leave  all  the  whys  and  wherefores  to  me.  I 
won't  go  from  your  hospitality  with  an  ungrateful 
tongue;  I  will  proclaim  before  the  assembled  multitudes 
in  your  temple  that  I  left  you  secure  in  the  faith,  and 
that  I  turned  to  others  because  they  needed  me  more. 
I  am  not  come  to  call  the  righteous  but  sinners  to  re 
pentance;  they  will  understand  that.  So  good  night, 
David,  and  good  morning.  I  shall  be  gone  before  even 
you  are  up." 

Gillespie  made  no  answer  as  he  followed  his  guest 
indoors.  Long  before  he  slept  he  heard  the  man's 
powerful  breathing  like  that  of  some  strong  animal 
in  its  sleep ;  an  ox  lying  in  the  field,  or  a  horse  standing 
in  its  stall.  At  times  it  broke  chokingly  and  then  he 
snorted  it  smooth  and  regular  again.  At  daybreak  Gil- 

36 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

lespie  thought  of  rising,  but  he  drowsed,  and  he  was 
asleep  when  his  daughter  came  to  the  foot  of  the  ladder 
which  climbed  to  his  chamber  in  the  cabin  loft,  and 
called  to  him  that  his  breakfast  was  ready. 


37 


IV 

THE  figure  of  a  woman  who  held  her  hooded  shawl 
under  her  chin,  stole  with  steps  often  checked 
through  the  limp,  dew-laden  grass  of  the  woods-pas 
ture  and  slipped  on  the  rotting  logs.  But  she  caught 
herself  from  tumbling,  and  safely  gained  the  border 
of  Gillespie's  corn  field.  There  she  sat  down  trembling 
on  the  stone  doorstep  of  the  spring-house,  and  waited 
rather  than  rested  in  the  shelter  of  the  chestnut  boughs 
that  overhung  the  roof.  She  was  aware  of  the  spring 
gurgling  under  the  stone  on  its  way  into  the  sunshine, 
from  the  crocks  of  cream-covered  milk  and  of  butter 
in  the  cool  dark  of  the  hut;  she  sensed  the  thick 
August  heat  of  the  sun  already  smiting  its  honeyed 
odors  from  the  corn;  she  heard  the  scamper  of  the 
squirrels  preying  upon  the  ripening  ears,  and  whisking 
in  and  out  of  the  woods  or  dropping  into  the  field  from 
the  tips  of  the  boughs  overhanging  the  nearer  rows; 
but  it  all  came  blurred  to  her  consciousness. 

She  was  recognizably  Gillespie's  sister,  but  her  eyes 
and  hair  were  black.  She  was  wondering  how  she 
could  get  to  speak  with  him  when  Jane  was  not  by. 
He  would  send  the  girl  away  at  a  sign  from  her,  but 

38 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

she  could  not  have  that;  the  thing  must  be  kept  from 
the  girl  but  not  seem  to  be  kept. 

She  let  her  arms  rest  on  her  knees;  her  helpless 
hands  hung  heavy  from  them;  her  head  was  bowed, 
and  her  whole  body  drooped  under  the  burden  of  her 
heart,  as  if  it  physically  dragged  her  down.  Jane 
would  be  coming  soon  with  the  morning's  milk  to 
pour  into  the  crocks;  she  heard  a  step;  the  girl  was 
coming;  but  she  must  rest  a  moment. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here,  Nancy?  "  her  brother's 
voice  asked. 

"  Oh,  is  it  you,  David?  Oh,  blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord !  Maybe  He  's  going  to  be  good  to  me,  after 
all.  David,  is  he  gone?  " 

"  He 's  gone,  Nancy." 

"In  anger?" 

"He's  gone;  I  don't  care  whether  he's  gone  in 
anger  or  not." 

"  Did  he  tell  you  he  saw  me?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  did  you  promise  him  not  to  tell  on  him  ?  To 
Jane  ?  To  any  one  ?  " 

"  No."  Gillespie  stood  holding  a  bucket  of  milk  in 
his  hand;  she  sat  gathering  her  shawl  under  her  chin 
as  if  she  were  still  coming  through  the  suncleft  shadows 
of  the  woods  pasture. 

"Oh,  David 1" 

"  What  do  you  want  me  to  do,  Nancy?  " 

39 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  don't  know,  I  don't  know.  I  have  n't  slept  all 
night." 

"  You  must  n't  give  way  like  this.  Don't  you  see 
any  duty  for  you  in  this  matter  ?  " 

"Duty?  Oh,  David!"  Her  heart  forboded  the 
impossible  demand  upon  it. 

Gillespie  set  his  bucket  of  milk  down  beside  the 
spring.  "Nancy,"  he  said,  "a  woman  cannot  have 
two  husbands.  It 's  a  crime  against  the  State.  It 's  a 
sin  against  God." 

"  But  I  have  n't  got  two  husbands !  What  do  you 
mean,  David  ?  Did  n't  I  believe  he  was  dead  ?  Did  n't 
you  ?  Oh,  David,  what  —  Do  you  think  I  've  done 
wrong?  You  let  me  do  it!  " 

"  I  don't  think  you  've  done  wrong;  but  look  out  you 
don't  do  it.  You  are  doing  it,  now.  I  can't  let  you 
do  it.  I  can't  let  you  live  in  sin !  " 

"In  sin?     Me?" 

"  You.  Every  minute  you  live  now  with  Laban  you 
live  in  sin.  Your  first  husband,  that  was  dead,  is  alive. 
He  can't  claim  you  unless  you  allow  it ;  but  neither  can 
your  second  husband,  now.  If  you  live  on  with  Laban 
a  day  longer  —  an  hour  —  a  minute  —  you  live  in 
deadly  sin.  I  thought  of  it  all  night  but  I  had  not 
thought  it  out  till  this  minute  when  I  first  saw  you 
sitting  there  and  I  knew  how  miserable  you  were,  and 
my  heart  seemed  to  bleed  at  the  sight  of  you." 

"  You  may  well  say  that,  David,"  the  woman  an 
swered  with  a  certain  pride  in  the  vastness  of  her 

40 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

calamity.  "If  it  was  another  woman  I  could  n't  bear 
to  think  of  it.  Why  does  He  do  it?  Why  does  He 
set  such  traps  for  us?" 

"  Nancy !  "  her  brother  called  sternly. 

"  Oh,  yes,  it 's  easy  enough  for  you !  But  if  Rachel 
was  here,  she  'd  see  it  different." 

"  Woman !  "  her  brother  said,  "  don't  try  to  hide  be 
hind  the  dead  in  your  sin." 

"  It 's  no  sin !  I  was  as  innocent  as  the  babe  unborn 
when  I  married  Laban  —  as  innocent  as  he  was,  poor 
boy,  when  he  would  have  me;  and  we  all  thought  he 
was  dead.  Oh,  why  could  n't  he  have  been  dead  ?  " 

"  This  is  murder  you  have  in  your  heart  now, 
Nancy,"  the  old  man  said,  with  who  knows  what  awful 
pleasure  in  his  casuistry,  so  pitilessly  unerring.  "If 
the  life  of  that  wicked  man  could  buy  you  safety  in 
your  sin  you  could  wish  it  taken." 

"  Oh,  oh,  oh !  What  shall  I  do,  what  shall  I  do." 
She  wailed  out  the  words  with  her  head  fallen  forward 
on  her  knees,  and  her  loose  hair  dripping  over  them. 

"  Do •?  Go  home,  and  bring  your  little  one,  and  come 
to  me.  I  will  deal  with  Laban  when  he  gets  back  to 
night." 

She  started  erect.  "And  let  him  think  I've  left 
him  ?  And  the  neighbors,  let  them  think  we  've  quar 
reled,  and  I  could  n't  live  with  him  ?  " 

"  It  won't  matter  what  the  world  thinks,"  Gillespie 
said,  and  he  spoke  of  the  small  backwoods  settlement 
as  if  it  were  some  great  cer  cer  of  opinion  such  as  in 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

great  communities  dispenses  fame  and  infamy,  and 
makes  its  judgments  supremely  dreaded.  "  Besides/' 
he  faltered,  "  no  one  is  knowing  but  ourselves  to  his 
coming  back.  It  can  seem  as  if  he  left  you" 

"  And  I  live  such  a  lie  as  that  ?     Is  this  you,  David  ?  " 

It  was  she  who  rose  highest  now,  as  literally  she  did, 
in  standing  on  the  stone  where  she  had  crouched,  above 
the  level  of  his  footing. 

"I  —  I  say  it  to  spare  you,  Nancy.  I  don't  wish 
it.  But  I  wish  to  make  it  easy  —  or  a  little  bit  easier 
—  something  you  can  bear  better." 

"  Oh,  I  know,  David,  I  know !  You  would  save  me 
if  you  could.  But  maybe  —  maybe  it  ain't  what  we 
think  it  is.  Maybe  he  was  outlawed  by  staying  away 
so  long?  " 

Neither  of  them  named  Dylks,  but  each  knew  whom 
the  other  meant,  throughout  their  talk. 

"  A  lawyer  might  let  you  think  so  till  he  got  all  your 
money." 

"  Matthew  Braile  would  n't." 

"That  infidel?" 

She  drooped  again.  "  Oh,  well,  I  must  do  it.  I 
must  do  it.  I  '11  go  and  get  ready  and  I  '11  come  to 
you.  What  will  Jane  think  ?" 

"  I  '11  take  care  of  what  Jane  thinks.  When  do  you 
expect  Laban  back  ?  " 

"  Not  before  sundown.     I  '11  not  come  till  I  see  him." 

"  We  '11  be  ready  for  you."  He  moved  now  to  open 
the  spring-house  door;  sh*  turned  and  was  lost  to  him 

42 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

in  the  lights  and  shadows  of  the  woods-pasture.  On 
its  further  border  her  cabin  stood,  and  from  it  came  the 
sound  of  a  pitiful  wail;  at  the  back  door  a  little  child 
stood,  staying  itself  by  the  slats  let  into  grooves  in  the 
jambs.  She  had  left  it  in  its  low  cradle  asleep,  and  it 
must  have  waked  and  clambered  out  and  crept  to  the 
barrier  and  been  crying  for  her  there;  its  small  face 
was  soaked  with  tears. 

She  ran  forward  with  long  leaps  out  of  the  corn 
field  and  caught  it  to  her  neck  and  mumbled  its  wet 
cheeks  with  hungry  kisses.  "  Oh,  my  honey,  my 
honey !  Did  it  think  its  mother  had  left  — " 

She  stopped  at  the  word  with  a  pang,  and  began  to 
go  about  the  rude  place  that  was  the  simple  home  where 
after  years  of  hell  she  had  found  an  earthly  heaven. 
Often  she  stopped,  and  wondered  at  herself.  It  seemed 
impossible  she  could  be  thinking  it,  be  doing  it,  but  she 
was  thinking  and  doing  it,  and  at  sundown,  when  she 
knew  by  the  eager  shadow  of  a  man  in  the  doorway, 
pausing  to  listen  if  the  baby  were  awake,  all  had  been 
thought  and  done. 


43 


tV 

THE  emotional  frenzies,  recurring  through  the  day, 
were  past,  and  she  could  speak  steadily  to  the 
man,  in  the  absence  of  greeting  which  often  emphasizes 
the  self-forget  fulness  of  love  as  well  as  marks  the  form 
lessness  of  common  life :  "  Your  supper 's  waitin'  for 
you,  Laban ;  I  've  had  mine ;  you  must  be  hungry.  It 's 
out  in  the  shed ;  it 's  cooler  there.  Go  round ;  baby  Js 
asleep." 

The  man  obeyed,  and  she  heard  him  drop  the  bucket 
into  the  well,  and  lift  it  by  the  groaning  sweep,  and  pour 
the  water  into  the  basin,  and  then  splash  himself,  with 
murmurs  of  comfort,  presently  muffled  in  the  towel. 
Her  hearing  followed  him  through  his  supper,  and  she 
knew  he  was  obediently  eating  it,  and  patiently  wait 
ing  for  her  to  account  for  whatever  was  unwonted  in 
her  greeting.  She  loved  him  most  of  all  for  his  boylike 
submission  to  her  will  and  every  caprice  of  it,  but  now 
she  hardly  knew  how  to  deny  his  tacit  question  as  he 
ventured  in  from  the  shed. 

"  Don't  come  near  me,  Laban,"  she  said  with  a  stony 
quiet.  "  Don't  touch  me.  I  ain't  your  wife,  any 
more." 

He  could  not  speak  at  first;  then  it  was  like  him  to 
ask,  "  Why  —  why  —  What  have  I  done,  Nancy  ?  " 

44 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"You,  you  poor  soul?"  she  answered.  "Nothing 
but  good,  all  your  days !  He  's  come  back." 

He  knew  whom  she  meant,  but  he  had  to  ask, 
"  Joseph  Dylks?  Why  I  thought  he  was  — " 

"  Don't  say  it !  It 's  murder !  I  don't  want  you  to 
have  his  blood  on  you  too.  Oh,  if  he  was  only  dead! 
Yes,  yes!  I  have  a  right  to  wish  it!  Oh,  God  be 
merciful  to  me,  a  sinner! " 

"  When  —  when  —  how  did  you  know  it,  Nancy  ?  " 

"  Yesterday  morning  or  day  before  —  just  after  you 
left.  I  reckon  he  was  waitin'  for  you  to  go.  I  'm 
glad  you  went  first."  The  man  looked  up  at  the  rifle 
resting  on  the  pegs  above  the  fireplace.  "  Laban, 
don't !  "  she  cried.  "  I  looked  at  it  when  he  was  walk- 
in'  away,  and  I  know  what  you  're  thinkin'." 

"  What  is  he  goin'  to  do?  "  the  man  asked  from  his 
daze. 

"  Nothing.  He  said  he  would  n't  do  nothing  if  I 
did  n't.  If  he  had  n't  said  it  I  might  believe  it !  " 

Laban  shifted  his  weight  where  he  stood  from  one 
foot  to  the  other. 

"  He  passed  the  night  at  David's.  He  's  passed  two 
nights  there." 

"  Was  it  the  snorting  man  ?  " 

"  I  reckon." 

"  I  heard  about  him  at  the  Cross  Roads.  Why 
did  n't  David  tell  us  yesterday?  " 

"  Maybe  he  had  n't  thought  it  out.  David  thinks 
slow.  He  likes  to  be  sure  before  he  speaks.  He  was 

45 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

sure  enough  this  morning!  "  the  woman  ended  bitterly. 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"  He  said  it  was  living  in  sin  for  us  to  keep  together 
if  he  was  alive." 

Laban  pondered  it.  "  I  reckon  if  we  come  together 
without  knowing  he  was  alive,  it  ain't  no  sin." 

"  Yes,  it  is !  "  she  shrieked. 

u  We  was  married  just  like  anybody;  we  did  n't  make 
no  secret  of  it;  we  've  lived  together  four  years.  Are 
you  goin'  to  unlive  them  years  by  stoppin'  now  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  s'pose  I  been  over  all  that  a  million 
times  ?  My  mind 's  sore  workin'  with  it ;  there  ain't  a 
thought  in  me  that  don't  ache  from  it.  But  David  's 
right.  W^e  've  got  to  part.  I  put  your  things  in  this 
poke  here,"  she  said,  and  she  gave  him  a  bag  made 
from  an  old  pillow  tick,  with  a  few  clothes  lumping  it 
half  full.  "  I  '11  carry  the  baby,  Laban."  She  pulled 
back  from  him  with  the  child  in  her  arms.  "  Or  no, 
you  can  carry  her;  you  '11  have  to  leave  her,  too,  and 
you  've  got  a  right  to  all  the  good  you  can  get  of  her 
now.  Don't  touch  anything.  I  '11  stay  at  David's,  to 
night,  but  I  '11  come  back  in  the  morning,  and  then  I  '11 
see  what  I  '11  do  —  stay,  or  go  and  live  with  David. 
Come!" 

"And  what  about  Joey?"  Laban  asked,  half  turn 
ing  with  the  child  when  they  were  outside. 

"  I  declare  I  forgot  about  Joey !  I  '11  see,  to-mor 
row.  It  seems  as  if  my  very  soul  was  tired  now. 
Joey  will  just  think  we  've  gone  over  to  David's  for  a 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

minute;  he  '11  go  to  bed  when  he  comes ;  he  '11  have  had 
his  supper  at  Peter  Kingston's,  anyway."  As  they 
walked  away,  she  said,  "  You  're  a  good  man,  Laban 
Billings,  to  feel  the  way  you  always  do  about  Joey. 
You  've  been  a  true  father  to  him;  I  wonder  what  his 
own  father  'd  have  been." 

"  No  truer  father  to  him  than  I  've  been  a  husband 
to  you,  Nancy,"  the  man  said,  and  as  they  walked  along 
together,  so  far  apart,  his  speech  came  to  him,  and  he 
began  to  plead  their  case  with  her  as  before  an  ad 
verse  judge.  Worn  as  she  was  with  the  arguments 
for  and  against  them  after  the  long  day  of  iteration, 
she  could  not  refuse  to  let  him  plead.  She  scarcely 
answered  him,  but  he  knew  when  they  reached  Gilles- 
pie's  cabin  that  she  had  seen  them  in  the  fierce  light 
of  her  conscience,  where  there  was  no  shadow  of  turn 
ing. 

David  was  alone;  Jane,  he  said,  had  gone  to  the 
Reverdys,  and  was  going  with  the  woman  to  the  Tern- 
pie. 

Nancy  did  not  seem  to  hear  him.  She  took  the 
sleeping  baby  from  its  father's  arms.  "  Laban  has 
come  with  me  to  say  good-by  before  you,  David.  I 
hope  you  '11  be  satisfied." 

"  I  hope  your  conscience  will  be  satisfied,  Nancy. 
It  does  n't  matter  about  me.  Laban,  do  you  see  this 
thing  like  I  do?" 

"  I  see  it  like  Nancy  does." 

"  God    will    bless    your    effort    for    righteousness. 

47 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Your  path  is  dark  before  you  now,  but  His  light  will 
shine  upon  it." 

The  old  man  paused  helplessly,  and  Nancy  asked 
"  Does  Jane  know  ?  " 

"  Not  yet.  And  I  will  confess  I  'm  not  certain  what 
to  do,  about  her,  and  about  the  neighbors.  This  is  a 
cross  to  me,  too,  Nancy.  I  have  lived  a  proud  life 
here;  there  has  never  been  talk  about  me  or  mine. 
Now  when  you  and  Laban  are  parted,  there  will  be 
talk." 

"  There 's  no  need  to  be,"  Laban  said;  "  not  at  once. 
They  want  me  back  at  the  Cross  Roads,  the  Wilkinses 
do.  I  can  go  now  as  well  as  in  the  morning.  I  forgot 
to  tell  you,"  he  added  to  his  wife.  "  It  was  drove  out 
of  my  mind." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  blame  you,"  she  answered. 

"  I  can  have  work  there  all  the  fall." 

David  Gillespie  rubbed  his  forehead,  and  said  trem 
ulously  :  "  I  don't  know  what  to  say.  I  suppose  I 
am  weak.  It  '11  be  one  kind  of  a  lie.  But,  Laban  — 
I  thank  you  — " 

"  I  can  come  back  here  Sundays  and  see  Nancy  and 
the  baby,"  Laban  suggested. 

The  old  man's  voice  shook.  "  You  '11  be  making  it 
harder  for  yourself,"  was  all  he  could  say. 

"  But  perhaps  —  perhaps  there  '11  be  light  —  that 
light  you  said  —  by  and  by  — " 

"  Let  us  pray  that  there  '11  be  no  light  from  the 
Pit.  I  am  a  sinful  man,  Laban,  to  let  you  do  this 

48 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

thing.  I  ought  to  have  strength  for  all  of  us.  But 
I  am  older  now,  I  'm  not  what  I  was  —  the  day  has 
tried  me,  Nancy." 

"  Good-by,  then,  Laban,"  the  woman  said.  "  And 
don't  you  think  hard  of  David.  I  don't.  And  I  'm 
not  sure  I  '11  ever  let  you  come.  Say  good-by  as  if  it 
was  for  life."  She  turned  to  her  brother.  "  We  can 
kiss,  I  reckon  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  reckon,"  he  lamented,  and  went  indoors. 

Laban  opened  his  arms  as  if  to  take  her  in  them; 
but  she  interposed  the  baby. 

"  Kiss  her  first.  Me  last.  Just  once.  Now,  go ! 
I  wont  be  weak  with  you  like  David  is.  And  don't 
you  be  afraid  for  me.  I  can  get  along.  /  'm  not  a 
man!"  She  went  into  the  cabin,  with  her  baby  over 
her  shoulder;  but  in  a  little  while  she  came  back  with 
out  it,  and  stared  after  the  figure  of  Laban  losing  it 
self  in  the  night.  Then  she  sat  down  on  the  doorstep 
and  cried;  it  seemed  as  if  she  never  could  stop;  but  the 
tears  helped  her. 

When  she  lifted  her  head  she  caught  the  sounds  of 
singing  from  the  village  below  the  upland  where  the 
cabin  stood.  It  was  the  tune  that  carried,  not  the 
words,  but  she  knew  them  from  the  tune;  as  well  as  if 
she  were  in  the  Temple  with  them  she  knew  what  the 
people  were  singing.  While  she  followed  the  lines 
helplessly,  almost  singing  them  herself,  she  was  startled 
by  the  presence  of  a  boy,  who  had  come  silently  round 
the  cabin  in  his  bare  feet  and  stood  beside  her. 

49 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Oh!  "she  cried  out. 

"  Why,  did  I  scare  you,  mom?  "  he  asked  tenderly. 
"  I  did  n't  mean  to." 

"No,  Joey.  I  didn't  know  any  one  was  there; 
that 's  all.  I  did  n't  expect  you.  Why  ain't  you 
at  home  in  bed?  You  must  be  tired  enough,  poor 
boy." 

"  Oh,  no,  I  ain't  tired.  Mr.  Kingston  is  real  good 
to  me ;  he  lets  me  rest  plenty ;  and  he  says  I  '11  make  a 
first  rate  miller.  I  helped  to  dress  the  burrs  this  morn 
ing —  the  millstones,  you  know,"  the  boy  explained, 
proud  of  the  technicality.  "  Oh,  I  tell  you  I  just  like 
it  there,"  he  said,  and  he  laughed  out  his  joy  in  it. 

"  You  always  was  a  glad  boy,  Joey,"  his  mother  said 
ruefully. 

"Well,  you  wouldn't  thought  so  if  you  seen  me 
over  at  our  house.  It  seemed  like  there  was  somebody 
dead ;  I  das  n't  hardly  go  in,  it  was  so  dark  and  still. 
Why  n't  you  there?  Didn't  pop  come  home?" 

"  Yes,  but  he  had  to  go  back  to  the  Cross  Roads ; 
he  *s  got  work  there  all  the  fall." 

"Well!  We  do  seem  to  be  gittin'  along!"  He 
laughed  again.  "  I  reckon  you  come  over  here  be 
cause  it  seemed  kind  o'  lonesome.  Coin'  to  stay  all 
night  with  Uncle?" 

"  Yes.     You  won't  mind  being  there  alone  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no!     Not  much,  I  reckon." 

st  You  can  stay  here  too,  if  you  want  to  — " 

"  Oh,  no !     Mom,"  he  confessed  shyly,  "  I  brung 

50 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Benny  Kingston  with  me.  I  thought  you'd  let  him 
stay  all  night  with  me." 

"Why,  certainly,  Joey—" 

"He's  just  behind  the  house;  I  wanted  to  ask 
first—" 

"  You  know  you  can  always  bring  Benny.  There 's 
plenty  of  room  for  both  of  you  in  your  bed.  But  now 
when  you  go  back  with  him  be  careful  of  the  lamp.  I 
put  a  fresh  piece  of  rag  in  and  there's  plenty  of 
grease.  You  can  blow  up  a  coal  on  the  hearth.  I  cov 
ered  the  fire;  only  be  careful." 

"  Oh,  we  '11  be  careful.  Benny  's  about  the  care- 
fullest  boy  the'  is  in  Leatherwood.  Oh,  I  do  like  be 
ing  in  the  mill  with  Mr.  Kingston."  He  laughed  out 
his  joy  again,  and  then  he  asked  doubtfully,  "  Mom?  " 

"  Yes,  Joey." 

"  Benny  and  me  was  wonderin' —  we  'd  go  straight 
back  home,  and  not  light  any  lamp  at  all  —  if  you'd 
let  us  go  to  the  Temple.  There 's  a  big  meetin'  there 
to-night."  The  mother  hesitated,  and  the  boy  urged, 
"  They  say  that  strange  man  —  well,  some  calls  him 
the  Snorter  and  some  the  Exhorter  —  is  goin'  to 
preach."  The  mother  was  still  silent,  and  the  boy 
faltered  on :  "  He  dresses  like  the  people  do  Over- 
the-Mountains,  and  he  wears  his  hair  down  his  back  — " 

The  mother  gasped.  "  I  don't  like  your  being  out 
late,  Joey.  I  'd  feel  better  if  you  and  Benny  was  safe 
in  bed." 

"  Oh,  well."     The  boy's  voice  sank  to  the  level  of 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

his  disappointment;  but  after  a  silent  interval  he 
caught  it  up  again  cheerily.  "  Oh,  well,  I  reckon 
Benny  won't  care  much.  We  '11  go  right  back  home. 
We  can  have  a  piece  before  we  go  to  bed?  " 

"  Yes  —" 

"  Benny  thinks  our  apple-butter  is  the  best  they  is. 
Can  we  have  some  on  bread,  with  sugar  on  top?  " 

His  mother  did  not  answer  at  once,  and  he  said 
again,  as  if  relinquishing  another  ideal,  "  Oh,  well." 

Nancy  rose  up  and  kissed  him.  "  Yes,  go  to  the 
Temple.  You  might  as  well.'* 

"  Truly,  mom  ?  Oh,  Benny,  hurrah !  She 's  let 
me !  Come  along !  " 

He  ran  round  the  cabin  to  his  comrade,  and  she  heard 
them  shouting  and  laughing  together,  and  then  the 
muted  scamper  of  their  bare  feet  on  the  soft  road 
toward  the  settlement. 

The  mother  said  to  herself,  "  He  'd  get  to  see  him 
sooner  or  later."  She  drew  her  breath  in  a  long  sigh, 
and  went  into  the  cabin.  "  What  a  day,  what  a  day ! 
It  seems  a  thousand  years,"  she  said  aloud. 

"  Are  you  talking  to  me,  Nancy?  "  her  brother  asked 
from  somewhere  in  the  dark. 

"  No,  no.  Only  to  myself,  David.  Where  did  I 
put  the  baby  ?  Oh !  I  know.  I  've  let  Joey  go  to  the 
Temple  to  hear  his  father  preach.  Lord  have  mercy !  " 


VI 

THE  discourse  of  Dylks  the  second  night  was  a 
chain  of  biblical  passages,  as  it  had  been  the  first 
night.  But  an  apparent  intention,  which  had  been 
wanting  before,  ran  through  the  incoherent  texts,  leap 
ing  as  it  were  from  one  to  another,  and  there  binding 
them  in  an  intimation  of  a  divine  mission.  He  did 
not  say  that  he  had  been  sent  of  God,  but  he  made 
the  texts  which  he  gave,  swiftly  and  unerringly,  say 
something  like  that  for  him  to  such  as  were  prepared 
to  believe  it.  Not  all  were  prepared;  many  denied; 
the  most  doubted;  but  those  who  accepted  that  mean 
ing  of  the  inspired  words  were  of  the  principal  people, 
respected  for  their  higher  intelligence  and  their  greater 
wealth. 

He  had  come  to  the  Temple  with  Peter  Kingston  and 
he  went  with  him  from  it.  Kingston's  quarter  sec 
tion  of  the  richest  farmland  in  the  bottom  bordered 
his  mill  privilege,  with  barns  and  corncribs  and  to 
bacco  sheds,  and  his  brick  house  behind  the  mill  was 
the  largest  and  finest  dwelling  in  the  place.  His 
flocks  and  herds  abounded;  his  state  was  patriarchal; 
and  in  the  neighborhood  which  loved  and  honored 
him,  for  some  favor  and  kindness  done  nearly  every 

53 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

man  there:  for  money  when  the  crops  failed;  for 
the  storage  of  their  wheat  and  corn  in  the  deep  bins 
of  his  mill  when  the  yield  was  too  great  for  their 
barns;  for  the  use  of  his  sheds  in  drying  their 
tobacco  before  their  own  were  ready.  His  growing 
sons  and  daughters,  until  they  were  grown  men  and 
women,  obeyed  his  counsel  as  they  had  obeyed  his  will 
while  children.  But  he  was  severe  with  no  one;  since 
his  wife  had  died  his  natural  gentleness  was  his  man 
ner  as  it  had  always  been  his  make,  and  it  tempered  the 
piety,  which  in  many  was  forbidding  and  compelling, 
to  a  wistful  kindness.  His  faith  admitted  no  misgiv 
ing,  for  himself,  but  his  toleration  of  doubts  and  dif 
ferences  in  others  extended  to  the  worst  of  skeptics. 
He  believed  that  revelation  had  never  ceased;  he  was 
of  those  who  looked  for  a  sign,  because  if  God  had 
ever  given  Himself  in  communion  with  His  creatures 
it  was  not  reasonable  that  he  should  afterwards  always 
withhold  Himself.  A  friendly  humor  looked  from  his 
dull  eyes,  and,  in  never  quite  coming  to  a  formulated 
joke,  stayed  his  utterance  as  if  he  were  hopeful  of 
some  such  event  in  time.  He  stood  large  in  bulk  as 
well  as  height,  and  drew  his  breath  in  slow,  audible 
respirations. 

The  first  people  of  the  community  tacitly  recognized 
him  as  the  first  man  in  it,  though  none  would  have 
compared  him  in  education  with  his  nearest  friend, 
Richard  Enraghty,  who  had  been  the  schoolmaster  and 
was  now  the  foremost  of  the  United  Brethren.  He 

54 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

led  their  services  in  the  Temple,  and  sometimes 
preached  for  them  when  it  came  their  turn  to  occupy 
the  house  which  they  shared  with  the  other  sects. 
Kingston  was  a  Methodist,  but  perhaps  because  their 
sects  were  so  akin  in  doctrine  and  polity  their  differ 
ence  made  no  division  between  the  friends :  Enraghty 
little  and  fierce  and  restless,  Hingston  large  and  kind 
and  calm.  What  they  joined  in  saying  prevailed  in 
questions  of  public  interest;  those  who  yielded  to  their 
wisdom  liked  to  believe  that  Enraghty' s  opinion  ruled 
with  Hingston.  Matthew  Braile  alone  had  the  cour 
age  to  disable  their  judgment  which  he  liked  to  say 
was  no  more  infallible  than  so  much  Scripture,  but  the 
hardy  infidel,  who  knew  so  much  law  and  was  inex 
pugnable  in  his  office,  owned  that  he  could  not  make 
head  against  their  gospel.  He  could  darken  their 
counsel  with  citations  from  "  Common  Sense "  and 
;i  The  Age  of  Reason,"  but  the  piety  of  the  community 
remained  safe  from  his  mockery. 

The  large  charity  of  Hingston  covered  the  multi 
tude  of  the  Squire's  sins;  he  would  have  argued  that 
he  had  not  been  understood  perhaps  in  the  worst  things 
he  said;  but  the  fiercer  godliness  of  Enraghty  was 
proof  against  the  talk  of  a  man  whose  conversation 
was  an  exhalation  from  the  Pit.  He  had  bitterly  op 
posed  Matthew  Braile's  successive  elections;  he  had 
made  the  pulpit  of  the  Temple  an  engine  of  political 
warfare  and  had  launched  its  terrors  against  the  in 
vulnerable  heathen.  He  was  like  Hingston  in  look- 

55 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

ing  for  a  sign;  in  that  day  of  remoteness  from  any 
greater  world  the  people  of  the  backwoods  longed  to 
feel  themselves  near  the  greatest  world  of  all,  and 
well  within  the  radius  of  its  mysteries.  They  talked 
mostly  of  these  when  they  met  together,  and  in  the 
solitude  of  their  fields  they  dwelt  upon  them;  on  their 
week  days  and  work  days  they  turned  over  the  threats 
and  promises  of  the  Sabbath  and  expected  a  light  or  a 
voice  from  on  high  which  should  burst  their  darkness 
and  silence. 

To  most  of  them  there  was  nothing  sacrilegious  in 
the  pretensions  which  could  be  read  into  the  closely 
scriptured  discourse  of  Dylks  when  he  preached  the 
second  time  in  the  Temple.  The  affability  which  he 
used  in  descending  from  the  pulpit  among  them,  and 
shaking  hands  and  hailing  them  Brother  and  Sister, 
and  personally  bidding  each  come  to  the  mercy  seat, 
convinced  them  of  his  authority;  no  common  man 
would  so  fearlessly  trust  his  dignity  among  those  who 
had  little  of  their  own.  They  thronged  upon  him 
gladly,  and  the  women,  old  and  young  alike,  trembled 
before  him  with  a  strange  joy. 

"Where  is  your  father,  Sister  Gillespie?"  he  de 
manded  of  the  girl,  who  wavered  in  his  strong  voice 
like  a  plant  in  the  wind. 

"  I  don't  know  —  he 's  at  home,"  she  said. 

"  See  that  he  comes,  another  time.  I  send  him  my 
peace,  and  tell  him  that  it  will  not  return  to  me.  Say 
that  I  said  he  needs  me." 

56 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

He  went  out  between  Enraghty  and  Kingston,  and 
as  they  walked  away,  he  sank  his  voice  back  in  words 
of  Scripture ;  farther  away  he  began  his  hymn : 

"  Plunged  in  a  gulf  of  dark  despair, 
We  wretched  sinners  lay  " — 

and  ended  with  his  shout  of  "  Salvation! " 


57 


VII 

THE  cabin  of  the  Reverdys  stood  on  a  byway  be 
yond  the  Gillespies.  Sally  had  joined  the  girl 
on  her  way  out  of  the  Temple,  and  was  prancing  be 
side  her  as  they  went  homeward  together.  "  Oh,  ain't 
it  just  great?  I  feel  like  as  if  I  could  fly.  I  never 
seen  the  Power  in  Leatherwood  like  it  was  to-night. 
He's  sent;  you  can  tell  that  as  plain  as  the  nose  on 
your  face.  How  happy  I  do  feel!  I  believe  in  my 
heart  I  got  salvation  this  minute.  Don't  you  feel  the 
Spirit  any  ?  But  you  was  always  such  a  still  girl !  I 
did  like  the  way  the  women  folks  was  floppun'  all 
round.  /  say,  if  you  feel  the  Power  workun'  in  you, 
show  it,  and  help  the  others  to  git  it.  What  do  you 
s'pose  he  meant  by  your  paw's  needun'  him  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  Perhaps  he  will,"  the  girl  answered 
briefly. 

"  Goun'  to  tell  him?  Well,  that 's  right,  Janey.  I 
kep'  wonderun'  why  he  did  n't  come  to-night.  If  Abel 
had  n't  be'n  so  beat  out  with  his  work  at  the  Cross 
Roads  to-day,  you  bet  I  'd  'a'  made  him  come ;  but  he 
said  I  'd  git  enough  glory  for  both.  I  believe  his 
talkun'  with  Squire  Braile  don't  do  him  no  good.  You 
b'lieve  Washington  and  Jefferson  was  friends  with 

58 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Tom  Paine?  The  Squire  says  they  was,  but  I  mis 
doubt  it,  myself;  I  always  hearn  them  two  was  good 
p^rfessun'  Christians.  Kind  o'  lonesome  along  here 
where  the  woods  comes  so  close't,  ain't  it?  Say, 
Janey :  I  wisht  you  'd  come  a  little  piece  with  me, 
though  I  don't  suppose  the  bad  spirits  would  dast  to 
come  around  a  body  right  on  the  way  home  from  the 
Temple  this  way  — " 

They  had  reached  the  point  where  Sally  must  part 
with  the  girl,  who  stopped  to  lift  the  top  rail  of  the 
bars  to  the  lane  leading  from  the  road  to  her  father's 
cabin.  She  let  it  drop  again.  "  Why,  I  '11  go  the 
whole  way  with  you,  Sally." 

"  Will  you  ?  Well,  I  declare  to  gracious,  you  're 
the  best  girl  I  ever  seen.  I  believe  in  my  heart, 
I  '11  rout  Abel  out  and  make  him  go  back  home  with 
you." 

"  You  need  n't,"  the  girl  said.  "  I  'm  not  afraid  to 
go  alone  in  the  dark." 

f(  Well,  just  as  you  say,  Janey.  What  do  you  do  to 
keep  from  beun'  afraid?" 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.     I  just  think,  I  suppose." 

"  Well,  /  just  want  to  squeal."  Sally  had  been  talk 
ing  in  her  loud,  loose  voice  to  keep  her  courage  up. 
"  Well,  I  declare  if  we  ain't  there  a'ready.  If  you  just 
say  the  word  I  '11  have  Abel  out  in  half  a  minute, 
and—" 

"  No,"  the  girl  said.     "  Good  night." 

"  Well,  good  night.  I  've  got  half  a  mind  to  go 
59 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

back  with  you  myself,"  Sally  called,  as  she  lifted  her 
hand  to  pull  the  latchstring  of  her  door. 

Jane  Gillespie  found  her  father  standing  at  the  bars 
when  she  went  back.  He  mechanically  let  them  down 
for  her. 

"  I  thought  you  would  be  in  bed,  Father,"  she  said 
-gently,  but  coldly. 

"  I  've  had  things  to  keep  me  awake ;  and  it 's  hot 
indoors,"  he  answered,  and  then  he  demanded, 
"Well?" 

If  it  was  his  way  of  bidding  her  tell  him  of  her 
evening's  experience,  she  did  not  obey  him,  and  he  had 
to  make  another  attempt  on  her  silence.  "  Was 
Hughey  there?" 

"Hughey?     I  don't  know." 

"  Did  n't  he  ask  to  come  home  with  you  ?  " 

"  I  did  n't  see  him.     Sally  Reverdy  came  with  me." 

"  Yes,  I  knew  that." 

She  was  silent  for  another  moment -and  then  she  said, 
"  Father,  I  have  a  message  for  you.  He  said,  *  I  send 
my  peace  to  him ;  and  it  will  not  return  unto  me.'  He 
said  you  needed  him." 

Gillespie  knew  that  she  meant  Dylks  and  he  knew 
that  she  kept  out  of  her  voice  whatever  feeling  she  had 
in  delivering  his  message. 

In  the  dark,  she  could  not  see  her  father's  frown, 
but  she  was  aware  of  it  in  his  answer.  "  You  went 
there  against  my  will.  Well  ?  " 

"  I  believe."  " 

60 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  You  believe  ?     What  do  you  believe  ?  " 

"  Him.     That  he  is  sent." 

"Why?" 

"  I  can't  tell  you.  He  made  me ;  he  made  all  the 
people  there." 

Her  father  was  standing  between  her  and  the  door. 
He  stood  aside.  "  Go  to  bed  now.  But  be  quiet. 
Your  Aunt  Nancy  is  there." 

"Aunt  Nancy?" 

"  Laban  came,  but  he  went  back  to  the  Cross  Roads, 
and  she  's  over  for  the  night  with  the  baby." 

"The  baby?  Oh,  I'll  be  careful!"  A  joy  came 
into  her  voice,  and  the  strain  left  it  in  something  like  a 
laugh. 

Early  in  the  morning  she  crept  down  the  ladder  from 
the  loft;  her  father  had  looped  his  cot  up  against  the 
cabin  wall  and  gone  out.  Nancy  was  sitting  up  in 
the  bed  she  had  made  for  herself  on  the  floor,  coiling 
a  rope  of  her  black  hair  into  a  knot  at  her  neck.  The 
baby  lay  cooing  and  kicking  in  her  lap.  The  morning 
air  came  in  fresh  and  sweet  at  the  open  door. 

"  Oh,  Aunt  Nancy,  may  I  take  her  ?  " 

"Yes;  I'll  get  the  breakfast.  Your  father '11  be 
hungry;  he  's  been  up  a  good  while,  I  reckon." 

"  I  '11  make  the  fire  first,  and  then  I  '11  take  the 
baby." 

The  girl  uncovered  the  embers  on  the  hearth  and 
blew  them  into  life;  then  she  ran  out  into  the  corn 
field,  and  gathered  her  apron  full  of  the  milky  ears, 

61 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

and  grated  them  for  the  cakes  which  her  aunt  molded 
to  fry  for  breakfast.  She  took  the  baby  and  washed 
its  hands  and  face,  talking  and  laughing  with  it. 

"  You  talk  to  it  a  sight  more  than  you  do  to  anybody 
else,  Jane,"  the  mother  said.  "  Don't  put  anything  but 
its  little  shimmy  on;  it 's  goin'  to  be  another  hot  day." 

"  I  believe,"  the  girl  said,  "  I  '11  get  some  water  in 
the  tub,  and  wash  her  all  over.  There  '11  be  time 
enough." 

"  It  'd  be  a  good  thing,  I  reckon.  But  you  must  n't 
forget  your  milkin'.  I  dunno  what  our  cow  'd  do  this 
morning  if  it  was  n't  for  Joey.  But  he  '11  milk  her, 
him  and  Benny  Kingston,  between  them,  somehow. 
Benny  stayed  with  him  last  night." 

"  I  did  forget  the  milking,"  the  girl  said,  putting  the 
baby's  little  chemise  on.  "  But  I  '11  do  it  now.  Sissy 
will  have  to  wait  till  after  breakfast  for  her  washing." 
She  got  the  tin  bucket  from  where  it  blazed  a-tilt  in  the 
sun  beside  the  back  door  of  the  cabin,  and  took  her 
deep  bonnet  from  its  peg.  She  did  not  ask  why  the 
boys  slept  alone  in  the  cabin,  but  her  aunt  felt  that  she 
must  explain. 

"  Laban  's  got  work  for  the  whole  fall  at  the  Cross 
Roads.  He  went  straight  back  last  night.  I  come 
here."  She  had  got  through  without  telling  the  lie 
which  she  feared  she  must.  "  I  'm  goin'  home  after 
breakfast." 

Jane  asked  nothing  further,  but  called  from  the  open 
door,  "  Sukey,  Sukey !  Suk,  Suk,  Suk !  "  A  plaintive 

62 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

lowing  responded ;  then  the  snapping  sound  of  a  cow's 
eager  hoofs;  the  hoarse  drumming  of  the  milk  in  the 
bucket  followed,  subduing  itself  to  the  soft  final  mur 
mur  of  the  strippings  in  the  foam.  Jane  carried  the 
milk  to  the  spring  house  before  she  reappeared  in  the 
cabin  with  a  cup  of  it  for  the  baby. 

"  It 's  so  good  for  her  to  have  it  warm  from  the 
cow,"  she  said,  as  she  tilted  the  tin  for  the  last  drop 
on  the  little  one's  lips.  "  I  wish  you  'd  leave  her  here 
with  me,  Aunt  Nancy." 

"  It 's  about  time  she  was  weaned/'  the  mother  said. 
"  I  reckon  you  better  call  your  father  now.  He  must 
be  ready  for  his  breakfast,  bendin'  over  that  tobacco 
ever  since  sun-up." 

Jane  took  down  the  tin  dinner  horn  from  its  peg, 
and  went  to  the  back  door  with  it,  and  blew  a  long, 
loud  blast,  crumbling  away  in  broken  sounds. 

The  baby  was  beating  the  air  with  its  hands  up  and 
down,  and  gurgling  its  delight  in  the  noise  when  she 
came  back.  "  Oh,  honey,  honey,  honey !  "  she  cooed, 
catching  it  up  and  hugging  it  to  her. 

The  mother  looked  at  them  over  her  shoulder  as  she 
put  the  cakes  of  grated  corn  in  the  skillet,  and  set  it 
among  the  coals  on  the  hearth.  "  It 's  a  pity  you 
ha'  n't  got  one  of  your  own." 

"  I  don't  want  one  of  my  own,"  the  girl  said. 

"  I  thought,  a  spell  back," —  the  woman  took  up  the 
subject  again  after  a  decent  interval  — "  that  you  and 
Hughey  Blake  was  goin'  to  make  a  match."  The  girl 

63 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

said  nothing,  and  her  aunt  pursued,  "  Was  he  there, 
last  night?" 

"  I  did  n't  notice/' 

"  Many  folks  ? "  her  aunt  asked  with  whatever 
change  or  fulfilment  of  a  first  intent. 

From  kneeling  over  to  play  with  the  baby  the  girl 
sank  back  on  her  heels  with  her  hands  fallen  before 
her. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"What  did  he  preach?" 

" The  Word  of  God;  God's  own  words.  All  Scrip 
ture;  but  it  was  like  as  if  it  was  the  first  time  you  ever 
heard  it." 

The  girl  was  looking  at  the  woman,  but  seemed  rapt 
from  the  sight  of  her  in  a  vision  of  the  night  before. 

"  I  reckon  Satan  could  make  it  sound  that  way," 
Nancy  said,  but  her  niece  seemed  not  to  hear  her. 
Nancy  stood  staring  at  her,  with  words  bitter  beyond 
saying  in  her  heart ;  words  that  rose  in  her  throat  and 
choked  her.  When  she  spoke  she  only  said,  "  Get  up, 
Jane;  your  father  '11  be  here  in  a  minute." 

"  I  'm  not  going  to  eat  anything.  I  'm  going  into 
the  woods."  She  staggered  to  her  feet,  and  dashed 
from  the  door.  The  child  looked  after  her  with  out 
stretched  arms  and  whimpered  pitifully,  but  she  did 
not  mind  its  call. 

"  Where  's  Jane  ?  "  her  father  said,  coming  in  at  the 
back  door. 

"  Gone  into  the  woods,"  she  said. 


Nancy  stood  staring  at  her,   with   words  heyond  saying  in   her 
heart — words  that  rose  in  her  throat  and  choked  her 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  To  pray,  I  reckon." 

He  sat  down  at  the  table-leaf  lifted  from  the  wall, 
and  his  sister  served  him  his  breakfast.  He  ate  greed 
ily,  but  his  hand  trembled  so  in  lifting  his  cup  that  the 
coffee  spilled  from  it. 

When  he  had  ended  and  sat  leaning  back  from  the 
board,  she  asked  him :  "  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

The  old  man  cleared  his  throat.  "  Nothing,  yet. 
Let  the  Lord  work  His  will." 

"And  let  Joseph  Dylks  work  his  will,  too!  I'll 
have  something  to  say  about  that." 

"  Be  careful,  woman.     Be  careful." 

"  Oh,  I  '11  be  careful.  He  has  as  much  to  lose  as 
I  have." 

"  No,  not  half  so  much." 


VIII 

WHERE  Matthew  Braile  sat  smoking  most  of 
the  hot  forenoon  away  on  the  porch  of  his 
cabin,  there  came  to  him  rumor  of  the  swift  spread 
of  the  superstition  running  from  mind  to  mind  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  catching  like  fire  in  dry  grass.  The 
rumor  came  in  different  voices,  some  piously  meant  to 
shake  him  with  fear  in  the  scorner's  seat  which  he 
held  so  stubbornly;  some  in  their  doubt  seeking  the 
help  of  his  powerful  unfaith;  but  he  required  their 
news  from  them  all  with  the  same  mocking.  They 
were  not  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  the  pillars  of 
the  Temple,  the  wise  and  rich  and  proud  who  had  been 
the  first  to  follow  Dylks,  but  the  poorer  and  lowlier 
sort  who  wavered  before  the  example  of  their  betters, 
and  were  willing  to  submit  it  to  the  searching  of  the 
old  Sadducee's  scrutiny. 

The  morning  after  Abel  Reverdy  had  finished  his 
work  at  the  Cross  Roads,  and  had  returned  to  the  cares 
patiently  awaiting  him  at  home  he  rode  his  claybank 
so  hesitantly  toward  the  Squire's  cabin  that  his  desire 
to  stop  and  talk  was  plain,  and  Braile  called  to  him : 
"  Well,  Abel,  what  do  they  think  of  the  Prophet  over 
at  Wilkins's?  Many  converts?  Many  dipped  or 
sprinkled,  as  the  case  required?  " 

68 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Reverdy  drew  rein  and  faced  the  Squire  with  a 
solemnity  presently  yielding  to  his  natural  desire  to 
grin  at  any  form  of  joke,  and  his  belief  that  when  the 
Squire  indulged  such  flagrant  irreverence  as  this  he 
must  be  joking.  Yet  he  answered  evasively :  "  You 
hearn't  he  says  now  he  hain't  never  go'n  to  die?  " 

"  No.  But  I  'm  not  surprised  to  hear  it ;  about  the 
next  thing  on  the  docket.  Did  he  say  that  at  the 
Cross  Roads?" 

"  Said  it  right  here  in  Leatherwood.  Sally  told  me 
the  first  thing  when  I  got  home.  You  was  n't  at  the 
Temple  last  night,  I  reckon?" 

"  Well,  not  last  night/'  Braile  said  with  an  implica 
tion  that  he  had  been  at  the  Temple  all  the  other  nights, 
which  made  Reverdy  laugh  with  guilty  joy. 

"  One  o'  the  Hounds  —  no,  it  was  Jim  Redfield  his- 
self  —  stopped  on  the  way  out,  and  he  says,  '  What 's 
this  I  hear?  You  say  you  ain't  goin'  to  die.'  And 
Dylks  he  lifts  his  hands  up  over  his  head  and  he  says, 
'  This  shell  will  fall  off ' ;  and  Jim  he  says,  *  I  've  got 
half  a  mind  to  crack  your  shell,'  and  the  believers  they 
got  round,  and  begun  to  hustle  Jim  off,  but  Dylks  he 
told  them  to  let  him  alone,  and  he  says,  '  I  can  endure 
strong  meat,  but  I  must  be  fed  on  milk  for  a  while.' 
What  you  s'pose  he  meant,  Squire?  " 

Braile  took  his  pipe  out  and  cackled  toothlessly. 
"  I  'm  almost  afraid  to  think,  Abel.  Something  awful, 
though.  You  say  Sally  told  you  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

69 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  should  think  Sally  would  know  what  he  meant, 
if  anybody/'  He  looked  at  Abel,  and  Sally's  husband 
joined  him  in  safe  derision.  "  Tell  you  anything 
else?" 

"  Well,  no,  not  just  in  so  many  words.  But  it 
'pears  he  's  been  teachun'  round  all  sorts  of  things  in 
private,  like.  Who  do  you  reckon  he  says  he  is  ?  " 

"  Not  John  the  Baptist,  I  hope.  I  don't  know  where 
we  should  get  the  locusts  and  wild  honey  for  him  in  this 
settlement.  Might  try  grasshoppers,  but  the  last  bee- 
tree  in  the  Bottom  was  cut  down  when  I  was  a  boy. 
I  got  a  piece  of  the  comb." 

"  I  don't  know  if  he  said  John  the  Baptist;  but  it 
was  John,  anyway.  And  they  say  —  or  that 's  what 
Sally  hearn  tell  —  that  when  he  was  off  with  Enraghty 
and  Kingston  on  some  'pointments  down  round  Seneca 
there  was  doun's  that  'uld  make  your  hair  stand  up." 

"  You  don't  happen  to  know  just  what  the  doings 
were?" 

"  Well,  no,  I  don't,  Squire.  But  they  was  doun's 
to  deceive  the  very  elec',  from  all  I  hearn." 

"  That 's  just  what  Kingston  and  Enraghty  both  are 
—  the  very  elect.  What  deceived  them?" 

"  Oh,  pshaw,  now,  Squire !  You  know  I  don't  mean 
they  were  deceived !  That 's  just  a  Bible  say  in'.  You 
see,  Brother  Briggs  was  sick  and  Brother  Enraghty 
went  along  with  Dylks  and  Brother  Kingston  to  preach 
in  his  place." 

"  Could  n't  Dylks  have  done  the  preaching?  " 
70 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  reckon  he  could.  But  there  was  three  'p'int- 
ments,  and  may  be  Dylks  could  n't  fill  'em  all,  and  may 
be  he  didn't  want  to.  Fust  Brother  Enraghty 
preached  in  the  Temple  at  Seneca,  and  then  at  Brother 
Christhaven's  house  off  south  of  that,  and  then  at 
David  Mason's,  the  local  preacher ;  but  Brother  Mason 
has  got  the  consumption,  and  he  could  n't  preach,  so 
Brother  Enraghty  had  to  do  all  the  preachun'." 

"I  see.     Well?" 

"  Well,  that  was  n't  anything  out  o'  the  common,  but 
what  Dylks  done  to  the  Devil  beat  all  the  preachun',  I 
reckon." 

"  How  'd  it  get  out?     Devil  tell ?  " 
.    "  No.     Brother  Enraghty  told,  and  Sally  she  got  it 
putty  straight  from  the  wife  of  the  man  that  he  told 
it  to." 

"  Go  on,"  Braile  said.     "  I  can  hardly  wait  to  hear." 

"  Well,  sir,  they  had  just  got  acrost  the  Leather- 
wood,  and  Brother  Enraghty  felt  as  if  he  was  lifted 
all  at  once  into  heaven;  air  dirl'ent,  and  full  of  joy. 
Dylks's  face  got  brighter  and  brighter,  and  his  voice 
sounded  like  music.  When  they  got  to  the  top  of  the 
hill  where  you  can  look  back  and  see  the  Temple,  Dylks 
turned  his  horse  and  stretched  out  his  hands,  and  says 
he,  '  How  ignorant  them  people  is  of  my  true  natur'. 
But  time  will  show  'em.'  Well,  not  just  them  words, 
you  know ;  more  dictionary ;  and  they  preached  with  a 
great  outpourun'  at  Seneca.  They  did  n't  go  to  bed 
that  night  at  all,  accordun'  to  the  woman's  tell  that  En- 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

raghty  told  her  man ;  sot  up  tell  mornun'  prayun',  arid 
singun'  hymns  and  readun'  the  Bible.  Next  mornun' 
when  they  started  out  Brother  Enraghty  seen  a  bright 
ring  round  Dylks's  head,  and  whenever  Dylks  got 
down  to  pray  the  ring  just  stayed  in  the  air  over  the 
saddle  tell  he  got  back,  and  then  it  dropped  round 
his  head  ag'in." 

Reverdy  stopped  for  the  effect,  but  Braile  only  said, 
"Goon!  Goon!" 

"  Well,  sir,  so  they  kep'  on  all  that  day  and  all  the 
next  night,  prayun',  and  singun',  and  readun'  the  Bi 
ble.  The  next  mornun'  when  they  started  Brother 
Enraghty  felt  kind  o'  cold  all  over,  and  his  teeth  chat 
tered,  and  Dylks  looked  at  him  hard  in  the  face,  and 
says  he,  l  Time  is  precious  now.  This  is  the  time  for 
work.  I  now  reveal  unto  you  that  you  are  Paul  the 
Apostle.'  " 

"  And  what  did  Paul  the  Apostle  say?  Did  he  own 
up  that  he  was  Paul  ?  " 

Reverdy  halted  in  his  tale.  "  Look  here,  Squire !  I 
don't  feel  just  right,  havun'  you  say  such  things.  It 
sounds  —  well,  like  profane  swearun'." 

"  Any  worse  than  Dylks  or  Enraghty  ?  You  go 
right  ahead,  Abel.  I  '11  take  the  responsibility  before 
the  law." 

"  Well,"  Reverdy  continued  with  a  reluctance  that 
passed  as  he  went  on,  "  what  Dylks  told  him  was  that 
he  would  increase  his  faith,  so  't  he  could  see  the  sights 
of  his  power,  and  glorify  him  among  men,  and  then 

72 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Enraghty  he  commenced  to  git  warm  ag'in,  and  Dylks 
he  turned  up  his  eyes  and  kep'  still,  and  it  was  so  bright 
all  round  him  that  it  made  the  daylight  like  dusk,  and 
Dylks  made  him  hark  if  he  did  n't  hear  a  kind  of  rush 
in  the  air,  and  Dylks  said  it  was  the  adversary  of  souls, 
but  he  would  conquer  him.  They  came  into  a  deep 
holler  in  the  woods  and  there  they  see  the  devil 
standun'  in  their  way,  and  Dylks  he  lights  and  hollers 
out,  i  Fear  not,  Paul;  this  day  my  work  is  done,'  and 
he  went  towards  Satan  and  Satan  he  raised  his  burnun' 
wings  and  bristled  his  scales,  and  stuck  out  his  forked 
tongue  and  dropped  melted  fire  from  it;  and  he  rolled 
his  eyes  in  his  head,  hissun'  and  bubblun'  like  sinners 
boilun'  in  hell's  kittles.  Then  Dylks  he  got  down  on 
his  knees  and  prayed,  and  got  up  and  give  his  shout  of 
Salvation,  and  the  devil's  wings  fell,  and  he  took  in  his 
tongue,  and  his  eyes  stood  still,  and  Dylks  he  blowed 
his  breath  at  him,  and  Satan  he  turned  and  jumped, 
and  every  jump  he  give  the  ground  shook,  and  Dylks 
and  the  balance  of  'em  follered  him  till  the  devil  come 
to  Brother  Mason's  house,  and  then  he  jumped  through 
the  shut  winder  out  of  sight.  They  found  Brother 
Mason's  son  David  in  bed  sick,  but  he  got  up  and  took 
Dylks  in  his  arms  and  called  him  his  Savior,  and  every 
body  got  down  on  their  knees  and  prayed,  and  their 
faces  was  shinun'  beautiful,  and  Dylks  he  walks  round 
David  Mason,  and  rubs  his  hands  over  him,  and  says, 
'  I  bind  the  devil  for  a  thousand  years,'  and  he  hugged 
David,  and  said,  '  The  work  is  done/  And  he 

73 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

would  n't  stay  to  preach  there,  but  told  'em  they  must 
come  back  with  him  to  the  Temple  here  in  Leather- 
wood.  On  the  way  back  he  would  n't  talk  at  all, 
hardly,  but  just  kep'  sayun',  '  The  perfect  work  is 
done/  and  he  did  n't  give  his  shout  any  more ;  just 
snorted." 

Braile's  pipe  had  gone  out,  but  he  pulled  at  it  two  or 
three  times,  before  he  said,  "  Well,  Abel,  I  don't  won 
der  Sally  is  excited.  I  suppose  you  would  be,  if  you 
believed  a  word  of  this  yarn?  " 

"  Well,  it 's  poorty  cur'ous  doun's,  Squire,"  Reverdy 
said,  daunted  between  his  natural  bent  and  his  wish 
to  be  of  the  Squire's  thinking.  "  Don't  you  believe 
it?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  /  believe  it.  But  you  know  /  believe  any 
thing.  If  Dylks  did  it,  and  Enraghty  says  he  did  it, 
why  there  we  've  got  the  gospel  for  it  —  right  from 
St/Paul  himself." 

He  said  no  more,  and  Reverdy  lingered  a  moment  in 
vague  disappointment.  Then  he  sighed  out,  "  Well,  I 
must  be  goun',  I  reckon,"  and  thumped  his  bare  heels 
into  the  claybank's  ribs  and  rode  away. 

Day  by  day  the  faith  in  Dylks  spread  with  circum 
stance  which  strengthened  it  in  the  converts ;  they  ac 
cepted  the  differences  which  parted  husband  and  wife, 
parent  and  child,  and  set  strife  between  brothers  and 
neighbors  as  proof  of  his  divine  authority  to  bring  a 
sword;  they  knew  by  the  hate  and  dissension  which 
followed  from  his  claim  that  it  was  of  supernatural 

74 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

force,  and  when  the  pillars  of  the  old  spiritual  temple 
fell  one  after  another  under  his  blows,  they  exalted  in 
the  ruin  as  the  foundation  of  a  new  sanctuary.  They 
drove  the  worshipers  out  of  the  material  Temple, 
Methodists  and  Moravians  and  Baptists  who  had  used 
it  in  common.  They  met  to  dedicate  it  solely  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  prophet  who  came  teaching  that  neither 
he  nor  they  should  ever  die,  but  should  enter  in  the 
flesh  into  the  New  Jerusalem  which  should  come  down 
to  them  at  Leatherwood.  His  steps  in  passing  from 
teacher  to  prophet  and  to  Messiah  were  contested  by  a 
few  with  bitter  and  strenuous  dissent,  but  on  the  night 
when  Dylks  proclaimed  before  the  thronging  assembly 
in  the  stolen  Temple,  "  I  am  God  and  there  is  none 
else,"  they  pressed  round  him,  men  and  women  and 
children,  and  worshiped  him.  "  I  am  God  and  the 
Christ  in  one,'*  he  proclaimed.  "  In  me,  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost  are  met.  There  is  no  salvation  except 
by  faith  in  me.  They  who  put  their  faith  in  me  shall 
never  taste  death,  but  shall  be  translated  into  the  New 
Jerusalem,  which  I  am  going  to  bring  down  from 
Heaven."  He  snorted;  the  few  unbelievers  protested 
in  abhorrence ;  but  the  Sisters  in  the  faith  shrieked  and 
the  Brothers  shouted,  "  We  shall  never  die !  "  Dylks 
came  down  from  the  pulpit  among  them,  and  Enraghty 
called  out,  "  Behold  our  God !  "  and  they  fell  on  their 
knees  before  him.  As  it  had  been  from  the  beginning, 
the  wisest  and  best,  the  first  in  prayer  and  counsel,  were 
foremost  in  the  idolatry;  and  young  girts,  and  wives 

75 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

and  mothers  joined  in  hailing  Dylks  as  their  Creator 
and  Savior,  and  besought  him  to  bless  and  keep  them. 

The  believers  were  in  such  force  that  none  of  the 
Hounds,  veteran  disturbers  of  camp-meetings  and  re 
vivals,  who  were  there,  dared  molest  them;  the  few 
members  of  the  sects  expelled  from  the  Temple  of  their 
common  worship  held  aloof  from  the  tumult  in  dismay, 
and  made  no  attempt  to  reclaim  the  sanctuary.  One 
man,  not  of  any  church,  but  of  standing  in  the  com 
munity,  tried  to  incite  the  sectarians  to  assert  their 
rights,  but  found  no  following  among  them.  They 
left  the  Temple  together  with  certain  others  who  had 
been  trembling  toward  belief  in  Dylks,  but  whom  the 
profanation  repelled;  when  they  were  gone  the  tumult 
sank  enough  to  let  Enraghty  announce  another  meet 
ing  a  week  hence,  and  then  dismiss  the  congregation. 

"  An'  afore  that  we  're  goin'  to  have  a  murricle," 
Sally  Reverdy  told  Squire  Braile,  sitting  early  the  next 
morning  at  the  receipt  of  gossip  on  his  cabin  porch  with 
his  pipe  between  his  teeth;  her  cow  had  not  come  up 
the  night  before,  and  Abel  had  not  found  her  in  the 
woods-pasture  when  he  went  to  look.  "An'  I 
could  n't  wait  all  day,  an'  I  just  slipped  over  to  git  some 
milk  of  Mis'  Braile,"  she  explained  to  the  Squire  as  she 
paused  with  the  bucket  in  her  hand.  "  I  told  her  I  'd 
bring  it  back  the  first  chance 't  I  git  at  our  cow ;  I  reckon 
Abel  will  find  her  some  time  or  'nuther;  and  I  'lowed 
you  had  plenty." 

Braile  had  already  heard  her  explaining  all  this  to  his 
7.6 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

wife,  but  now  he  kept  her  for  the  full  personal  detail  of 
the  last  night's  event  at  the  Temple.  She  ended  an  un 
sparing  report  of  the  wonders  seen  with  a  prophecy  of 
wonders  to  come. 

"  Why/'  Braile  said,  "  I  don't  see  what  you  want  of 
a  miracle  more  than  what  you  've  had  already.  The 
fact  that  your  cow  did  n't  come  up  last  night,  and  Abel 
could  n't  find  her  in  the  woods-pasture  this  morning  is 
miracle  enough  to  prove  that  Dylks  is  God.  Besides, 
did  n't  he  say  it  himself,  and  did  n't  Enraghty  say 
it?" 

"  Well,  yes,  they  did,"  Sally  assented,  overborne  for 
the  moment  by  his  logic. 

"And  didn't  you  all  believe  them?" 

"  Well,  we  all  did,"  Sally  said.  "  But  look  here, 
Squire  Braile,  what  about  them  that  did  n't  believe  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  then  there  were  some  there  that  did  n't  believe 
it!  Well,  I  suppose  nothing  less  than  more  miracles 
will  do  for  them.  Who  were  they?  " 

"  Well,  of  course,  there  was  Jim  Redfield ;  he  's  been 
ag'inst  him  from  the  first;  and  there  was  old  George 
Nixon,  and  there  was  Hughey  Blake,  and  a  passel  of 
the  Hounds  that  I  don't  count." 

{t  Why,  certainly  not ;  the  Hounds  would  doubt  any 
thing.  But  I  'm  surprised  at  Redfield  and  Nixon  and 
Hughey  Blake.  What  reason  did  they  give  for  the 
faith  that  was  n't  in  them  ?  When  a  man  stood  up  and 
snorted  like  a  horse  and  said  he  was  God,  why  did  n't 
they  believe  him?  Or  the  other  fellows  that  didn't 

77 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

snort,  but  said  they  knew  it  was  God  from  a  sound  that 
he  made?" 

"  Oh,  pshaw,  now,  Squire  Braile ! "  Sally  gurgled. 
She  did  not  yield  quite  with  Abel's  helplessness  at  a 
joke,  but  the  Squire's  blasphemous  irony  had  its  force 
with  her  too,  though  she  felt  it  right  to  bring  herself 
back  to  her  religious  conviction  with  the  warning, 
"  Some  day  you  '11  go  too  fur." 

"  Yes,  I  'm  always  expecting  the  lightning  to  strike 
in  the  wrong  place.  Did  n't  Nixon  or  Redfield  or 
Hughey  Blake  say  anything?  Or  did  they  just  look 
ashamed  of  you,  down  there  on  your  knees  before  a 
man  that  you  worshiped  for  a  God  because  he  snorted 
like  a  horse  ?  Did  n't  anybody  in  their  senses  say  any 
thing,  or  could  n't  those  that  were  out  of  their  senses 
hear  anything  but  their  own  ravings  ?  " 

The  old  man  had  pleased  himself  with  his  mocker 
ies,  but  now  he  let  the  scorn  which  his  irony  had  hidden 
blaze  out.  ".Wasn't  anybody  ashamed  of  it  all? 
Weren't  you  ashamed  yourself,  Sally?" 

"  Well,  I  dunno,"  Sally  said,  easing  herself  from  one 
foot  to  another  and  shifting  the  milk-bucket  from  her 
right  hand  to  her  left.  "  Where  everybody  is  goun' 
one  way,  you  don't  know  what  to  think  exactly.  Jane 
Gillespie  was  there,  and  she  went  on  as  bad  as  the 
best." 

"Jane  Gillespie?" 

"  Yes.  She  come  with  me,  and  she  was  goun5  to 
come  home  with  me,  as  fur  's  the  door,  and  she  would 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

ha'  done  it,  if  it  had  n't  ha'  been  for  her  father.  He 
bruk  through  the  believers  and  drug  her  up  from  the 
floor  where  she  was  kneelun'  and  stoopun'  her  forehead 
over  to  the  ground,  and  pulled  her  out  through  the 
crowd.  '  You  come  home  with  me ! '  says  he,  kind  o' 
harsh  like;  and  if  it  hadn't  ha'  been  for  Nancy  Bil- 
luns's  Joey  I  'd  ha'  had  to  git  through  the  woods  alone, 
and  the  dear  knows  I  'm  always  skeered  enough.  But 
Joey  and  Benny  Kingston  they  come  with  me,  or  I 
don't  feel  as  if  I  'd  been  here  to  tell  it." 

"  You  'd  have  been  safe  from  the  devil,  though ;  he 
stayed  with  Dylks.  Did  n't  David  say  anything  to  the 
girl?" 

"  Just,  '  You  come  home  with  me,'  and  he  looked  so 
black  that  Hughey  Blake  he  kind  o'  started  from  where 
he  was  standun'  with  the  unbelievers,  and  he  says,  '  Oh, 
don't,  Mr.  Gillespie ! ' —  like  that  —  and  Jane  she 
said,  '  It 's  my  father,  Hugh,'  and  she  went  along  with 
him,  kind  o'  wild  lookun',  like  she  was  walkun'  in  her 
sleep.  I  noticed  it  at  the  time." 

"Didn't  Dylks  do  anything  —  say  anything?" 
"  Well,  not  that  /  seen  or  hearn.  But  some  o'  them 
that  was  standun'  nigh  him  was  talkun'  about  it  when 
we  all  got  out,  and  they  was  sayun'  he  said,  '  Go  with 
your  earthly  father ;  your  heavenly  father  will  keep  you 
saf e ! '  I  don't  know  whether  he  did  or  not ;  but  that 's 
what  they  was  sayun'." 

"  And  did  Gillespie  say  anything  back  ?  " 
"  Not 't  anybody  beared.     Just  give  Dylks  a  look 

79 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

like  he  wanted  to  kill  him,  and  then  Dylks  snorted,  and 
yelled  '  Salvation ! '  Squire,"  Sally  broke  off,  "  some 
of  us  believers  was  talkun'  it  over,  when  we  started 
home,  and  wonderun'  what  ought  we  to  call  him.  Jest 
Dylks  don't  sound  quite  right,  and  you  can't  say  Al 
mighty,  to  a  body,  exactly,  and  you  can't  say  Lord. 
What  should  you  think  was  the  right  way  ?  " 

Braile  got  back  to  his  irony.  "  Well,  that 's  an  im 
portant  question,  Sally.  I  should  call  him  Beelzebub, 
myself;  but  then  I  'm  not  a  believer.  That  night  when 
he  first  came,  did  n't  he  tell  the  people  to  call  him  just 
Dylks?" 

"  Yes,  he  did,  but  that  was  for  the  present,  he  said." 

"  Has  he  given  himself  any  other  name?  " 

"  Well,  no." 

"  Then  I  should  let  it  go  at  Dylks." 

"  Just  plain  Dylks  ?  Mr.  Dylks  would  n't  do ;  or 
Brother  Dylks,  would  n't.  Father  Dylks  don't  sound 
quite  the  thing  — " 

"Might  try  Uncle  Dylks,"  Braile  said,  cackling 
round  his  pipe-stem,  and  now  Sally  perceived  that  it 
was  in  vain  to  attempt  serious  discussion  of  the  point 
with  him. 

She  said,  "  Oh,  pshaw,  Squire  Braile,"  and  lankly 
let  herself  down  sidewise  from  the  porch,  and  flopped 
away  on  the  road.  Then  she  stopped,  and  called  back, 
"  Say,  Squire,  what  do  you  think  of  the  Good  Old 
Man?" 

"What  good  old  man?" 
80 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"WRy,  Dylks.  For  a  name.  That's  what  most 
of  'em  wants  to  call  him." 

"  Sounds  like  a  good  name  for  them  that  like  a  name 
like  it." 

"  He  calls  us  the  Little  Flock." 

"  Well,  well !     Geese  or  sheep  ?  " 

"  Oh,  pshaw,  now !  I  would  n't  belong  to  the  Herd 
of  the  Lost,  anyway.  That's  what  he  calls  the  un 
believers." 

"  You  don't  tell  me !  Well,  now  I  will  be  scared  in 
the  dark." 

Failing  of  any  retort,  Sally  now  flopped  definitively 
beyond  calling  back. 

Braile  watched  her  going  with  a  sardonic  smile,  but 
when  his  wife,  after  waiting  for  her  to  be  quite  gone, 
came  out  to  him,  he  was  serious  enough. 

"  Did  that  fool  tell  you  of  the  goings  on  at  the 
Temple  last  night?" 

"  As  much  as  I  would  let  her.  I  suppose  it  had  to 
come  to  something  like  that.  It  seems  as  if  the  people 
had  gone  crazy." 

"  Yes,"  the  Squire  sighed  heavily,  "  there  's  no  doubt 
about  that.  And  it's  a  pity.  For  such  a  religious 
community  Leatherwood  Creek  used  to  be  a  very  de 
cent  place  to  live  in.  They  were  a  lot  of  zealots,  but 
they  got  on  well  with  one  another ;  that  Temple  of  theirs 
kept  them  together,  and  they  did  n't  quarrel  much  about 
doctrine.  Now  with  the  Dylksites  driving  the  old- 
fashioned  believers  out  of  the  sanctuary  and  dedicating 

81 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

it  to  the  exclusive  worship  of  Dylks,  the  other  denomi 
nations  are  going  to  fight  among  themselves;  and 
there  '11  be  no  living  with  them.  And  that  is  n't  the 
worst  of  it.  This  new  deity  is  n't  going  to  be  satis 
fied  with  worship  merely.  Money,  of  course,  he  '11 
want  and  get,  and  he  '11  wear  purple  and  fine  linen,  and 
feed  upon  fried  chicken  every  day.  Still  the  super 
stition  might  die  out,  and  no  great  harm  done,  if  the 
faith  was  confined  to  men.  But  you  know  what  women 
are,  Martha." 

"  They  're  what  men  make  'em,"  Mrs.  Braile  said 
sadly. 

"  It 's  six  of  one  and  half  a  dozen  of  another,  I  'm 
afraid.  But  this  god  of  theirs  is  a  handsome  devil, 
and  some  poor  fool  of  a  girl,  or  some  bigger  fool  of  a 
married  woman,  is  going  to  fall  in  love  with  him,  and 
then—" 

"  Did  you  just  think  of  that?  Well,  you  can't  help 
it  by  lettin'  your  coffee  get  cold." 

Braile  tilted  his  chair  down  and  rose  from  its  re 
bound  to  follow  his  wife  stiffly  indoors.  "  The  ques 
tion  is,  Who  will  it  be?  Which  poor  girl?  Which 
bigger  fool  ?  And  nothing  can  be  done  to  prevent  it ! 
The  Real  God  put  it  into  human  nature,  and  all  Hell 
could  n't  stop  it.  Well,  I  suppose  it 's  for  some  wise 
purpose,"  he  ended,  in  parody  of  the  pious  resignation 
prevailing  on  the  tongues  of  the  preachers. 


82 


IX 

DAVID  GILLESPIE  woke  later  than  his  daughter, 
and  when  he  had  put  away  the  shadows  of  his  un 
happy  dreams  he  took  up  the  burden  of  waking  thoughts 
which  weighed  more  heavily  on  him.  The  sight  of  his 
child  groveling  at  the  feet  of  that  blasphemous  impostor 
and  adoring  him  as  her  God  pitilessly  realized  itself  to 
him  as  a  thing  shameful  past  experience  and  beyond 
credence,  and  yet  as  undeniable  as  his  pulse,  his  breath, 
his  seeing  and  hearing.  The  dread  which  a  less  primi 
tive  spirit  would  have  forbidden  itself  as  something  too 
abominable,  possessed  him  as  wholly  possible.  He 
had  lived  righteously,  and  he  had  kept  evil  from  those 
dear  to  him,  both  the  dead  and  the  quick,  by  the  force 
of  his  strong  unselfish  will;  now  he  had  seen  his  will 
without  power  upon  the  one  who  was  dearest,  and 
whom  he  seemed  to  hold  from  evil  only  by  the  force  of 
his  right  hand.  But  his  hand  could  not  be  everywhere 
and  at  all  times ;  and  then  ? 

The  breakfast  which  the  girl  had  got  for  him  and 
left  on  the  hearth  was  warm  yet,  when  he  put  it  on  the 
table,  and  she  could  not  have  been  gone  more  than  a 
few  minutes,  but  she  had  gone,  he  did  not  know  where, 
without  waiting  to  speak  with  him  after  the  threats  and 
defiances  which  they  had  slept  upon.  When  he  had 

83 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

poured  the  coffee  after  the  mouth fuls  he  forced  down, 
he  acted  on  the  only  hope  he  had  and  crossed  the  woods- 
pasture  to  his  sister's  cabin. 

She  understood  the  glance  he  gave  within  from  the 
threshold  where  he  paused,  and  said,  "  She  ain't  here, 
David."  Nancy  had  cleared  her  breakfast  away  and 
was  ironing  at  the  shelf  where  she  had  eaten;  the  baby 
was  playing  on  the  floor. 

Gillespie  looked  down  at  it.  "  I  did  n't  know  but 
what  she  'd  come  over  to  dress  it ;  she  cares  so  much  for 
it." 

"  It  cares  for  her,  too.  But  what  brings  you  after 
her?" 

"  She 's  gone  somewhere  without  her  breakfast. 
We  had  high  words  last  night  after  I  brought  her 
home." 

"  I  'm  afraid  you  '11  have  higher  words,  yet,  David. 
Joey  was  at  the  Temple." 

"  Nancy,  I  don't  know  what  to  do  about  her." 

:(  You  knew  what  to  do  about  me,  David."  She 
gave  her  stab,  and  then  she  pitied  him,  not  for  the  pain 
she  was  willing  he  should  feel  from  it,  but  for  the  pain 
he  was  feeling  before.  "  I  know  it  is  n't  like  that. 
I  'm  sorry  for  you  both.  You  have  n't  come  to  the 
end  of  your  troubles." 

"  I  can't  understand  the  girl,"  he  said  desolately. 
"  Up  to  a  year  ago  she  was  like  she  had  always  been, 
as  biddable  as  a  child,  and  meek  and  yielding  every 
way.  All  at  once  she 's  got  stiff-necked  and  wilful." 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  She  could  n't  tell  you  why,  herself,  David.  We 
are  all  that  way  —  good  little  girls  —  and  then  all  of  a 
sudden  wilful  women.  I  don't  know  what  changes  us. 
It 's  harder  on  us  than  it  is  on  you.  It  came  on  me  like 
a  thief  in  the  night  and  stole  away  my  sense.  It  gave 
Joseph  Dylks  his  chance  over  me;  if  it  had  been. sooner 
or  later  I  should  have  known  he  was  a  power  of  dark 
ness  as  far  as  I  could  see  him.  But  my  eyes  were 
holden  by  my  self-conceit,  and  I  thought  he  was  an 
angel  of  light." 

"  He  's  got  past  being  an  angel  now,"  Gillespie  said, 
forcing  himself  to  the  real  matter  of  his  errand,  far 
from  the  question  of  his  daughter's  estrangement  from 
her  old  self.  "  Did  Joey  tell  you  about  —  last  night  ?  " 

Nancy  did  not  quit  the  psychological  question  at  once. 
"  Up  to  that  time  we  think  our  fathers  and  brothers  are 
something1  above  the  human;  then  we  think  they're 
not  even  up  to  the  common  run  of  men.  We  think 
other  men  are  different  because  we  don't  know  them. 
Yes,"  she  returned  to  his  question  with  a  sigh,  "  Joey 
told  me  something  about  it  —  enough  about  it.  I  sup 
pose  it  is  n't  right  to  let  him  be  a  spy  on  his  father ;  but 
I  have  to.  If  I  did  n't  he  might  want  to  go,  from  the 
talk  of  those  fools,  and  get  to  believin'  with  them.  He 
said  there  was  boys  and  girls  kneelin'  with  the  rest  — 
little  children,  almost,  and  shoutin'  and  prayin'  to 
Joseph.  Did  you  see  'em?" 

:f  Yes ;  it  was  dreadful,  Nancy.  But  it  was  worse  to 
see  the  women,  the  grown-up  girls,  and  the  mothers  of 

85 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

the  children.  It  looked  like  they  had  been  drinking. 
It  fairly  turned  me  sick.  And  my  own  daughter 
groveling  on  her  knees  with  the  worst!  If  I  didn't 
know  Dylks  for  the  thing  he  is,  without  an  idea  beyond 
victuals  and  clothes,  I  might  ha'  thought  he  had  thrown 
a  spell  on  'em,  just  for  deviltry.  But  they  done  it  all 
themselves;  he  just  gave  them  the  chance  to  play  the 
fool/' 

Nancy  resumed  from  her  own  more  immediate  inter 
est,  "  Well,  I  let  Joey  go ;  and  I  don't  know  whether 
it  helps  or  hurts  to  have  him  come  home  feelin'  about 
him,  and  all  the  goings  on,  just  like  I  would  myself. 
He  always  says  he 's  glad  I  wasn  't  there,  and  he  pities 
the  poor  fool  women  more  than  he  despises  his  father. 
Or  I  ort  n't  to  say  despise ;  Joey  don't  despise  anybody ; 
he 's  all  good,  through  and  through ;  I  don't  know 
where  he  gets  it.  He  's  like  Laban,  and  yet  he  ain't  any 
kin  to  Laban." 

"  It  must  be  hard  on  you,  Nancy.  I  don't  know  how 
you  can  bear  up  the  way  you  do.  It  is  like  a  living 
streak  of  fire  in  me." 

"  That 's  because  there  's  some  hope  left  in  you.  I 
can  bear  what  I  've  got  to  because  the  feeling  is  all 
burnt  out  of  me.  It 's  like  as  if  my  soul  was  dead." 

"  You  must  n't  say  that,  Nancy." 

"  I  say  anything  I  please,  now ;  anything  I  think. 
I  'm  not  afraid  any  more;  I  hain't  got  anything  left  to 
be  afraid  of." 

"  Well,  I  have,"  David  returned.  "  Something  I  'm 
86 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

ashamed  to  be  afraid  of  it:  his  hold  on  Jane.  I  don't 
understand  it.  We've  always  thought  alike  and  be 
lieved  alike,  and  now  to  see  her  gone  crazy  after  a  thief 
and  liar  like  that !  It 's  enough  to  drive  me  mad  the 
other  way.  I  don't  only  want  to  kill  him;  I  want  to 
kill—" 

"  David ! "  she  stopped  him,  and  in-  his  pause  she 
added,  "  You  're  worse  than  what  I  ever  was.  Where 
is  your  religion?" 

"  Where  is  her  religion  ?  I  raised  her  to  fear  God,  «  - 
the  Bible  God  .that  I  've  prayed  to  for  her  since  she  was 
a  little  babe,  but  now  since  she 's  turned  to  this  heathen 
image  I  begin  to  turn  from  Him.  What 's  He  been 
about  if  He's  All  Seeing  and  All  Powerful,  to  let 
loose  such  a  devil  on  a  harmless  settlement  like  this 
where  we  were  all  brethren  and  dwelt  together  in  unity, 
no  matter  whether  we  believed  in  dipping  or  sprinkling? 
We  loved  one  another  —  in  the  Scripture  sense  —  and 
now  look !  Families  broken  up,  brothers  not  speaking, 
wives  and  husbands  parting,  parents  cursing  the  day 
their  children  were  born,  and  children  flying  in  the  face 
of  their  parents.  Did  you  hear  about  Christopher 
Mills,  how  he  come  crying  to  his  father  and  mother  and 
tried  to  make  them  believe  in  Dylks,  and  when  his 
father  said  it  was  all  a  snare  and  a  delusion,  Christo 
pher  went  away  telling  them  their  damnation  was 
sealed?" 

"  No,"  the  woman  said  with  bitter  pleasure  in  the 
mockery,  "  but  I  heard  how  our  new  Saint  Paul  En- 

87 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

raghty  went  over  to  his  uncle's  the  other  day,  and  said 
he  should  never  see  corruption,  and  should  never  die, 
and  told  his  uncle  he  could  n't  shoot  him.  Them  that 
was  there  say  the  old  man  just  reached  for  his  rifle, 
and  was  going-  to  shoot  Saint  Paul  in  the  legs,  and  then 
Paul  begged  off  and  pretended  that  he  was  only  in 
fun!" 

She  laughed,  but  David  Gillespie  looked  sadly  at  her. 
"  I  don't  believe  I  like  to  hear  you  laugh,  Nancy." 

"  Why,  are  you  turning  believer  too,  David?  It'll 
be  time  for  me  next,"  she  mocked.  "  I  could  n't  laugh 
at  Joseph,  may  be,  but  Saint  Paul  Enraghty  is  a  bigger 
rascal  or  a  bigger  fool  than  he  is.  Some  say  that 
Joseph  is  just  crazy,  and  some  that  he  's  after  money, 
and  that  Enraghty  's  put  him  up  to  everything." 

'  Yes,"  David  moodily  assented  to  the  general  tenor 
of  her  talk.  '  The  way  they  've  roped  in  between  'em 
that  poor  fool  Davis  who  'd  been  preaching  for  the 
United  Brethren,  and  now  preaches  Dylks!  First  he 
would  n't  hardly  go  into  the  same  house,  and  then  he 
would  n't  leave  it  till  he  could  come  with  Dylks.  I 
don't  know  how  they  do  it!  Sometimes  I  think  the 
decentest  man  left  in  the  place  is  that  red-mouthed  infi 
del,  Matthew  Braile !  Sometimes  I  'm  a  mind  to  go  to 
his  house  and  get  him  to  tell  me  what  Tom  Paine  would 
do  in  my  place." 

'  You  are  pretty  far  gone,  David.  But  I  don't  won 
der  at  it;  and  I  don't  believe  I  think  so  badly  of  Mat 
thew  Braile,  either.  He  may  be  an  infidel,  but  he  be- 

88 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

lieves  in  some  kind  of  a  God  that  wants  people  to  do 
right ;  he  don't  believe  in  mortal  sin,  and  may  be  that 's 
where  he  's  out ;  and  I  hear  tell  he  don't  think  there  's 
going  to  be  any  raisin'  of  the  body,  or  any  Last  Day, 
or  any  Hell;  but  he  keeps  it  to  himself  unless  folks 
pester  him.  I  was  afraid  once  to  have  Joey  talk  with 
him,  before  the  plow  went  over  me.  But  now  I  let 
Joey  go  to  him  all  he  wants  to.  He  lets  Joey  come  and 
pet  the  coon  Joey  give  him  because  he  heard  that  the 
Squire's  little  boy  used  to  want  one.  From  all  I  can 
make  out  they  don't  do  much  but  talk  about  the  little 
boy;  he  seems  to  take  comfort  in  Joey  because  Joey  's 
like  him,  or  the  Squire  thinks  so." 

"If  Jane  had  died  when  she  was  his  little  boy's  age, 
I  would  n't  feel  as  if  I  had  lost  her  half  as  much  as  I 
do  now." 

Nancy  lifted  herself  from  her  ironing-board  and 
looked  at  her  brother.  "  You  told  me  what  the  duty 
of  a  woman  was  that  found  out  she  had  two  husbands. 
Don't  you  know  what  the  duty  of  a  man  is  that  has  a 
daughter  turned  idolater  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't,  Nancy,"  David  answered  doggedly. 

"  Then,  why  don't  you  wrestle  with  the  Lord  in 
prayer?  Perhaps  He  'd  make  you  some  sign." 

"  Oh,  prayer!  The  thought  of  it  makes  me  sick 
since  I  saw  them  fools  wallowing  round  at  Dylks's 
feet,  and  beseeching  that  heathen  image  to  save 
them." 

"  Then  if  you  hain't  got  any  light  of  yourself,  and 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

you  don't  believe  the  Lord  can  give  you  any,  what  do 
you  expect  me  to  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  expect  anything,  Nancy.  If  she  was  a 
child  I  could  whip  it  out  of  her,  but  when  your  child 
has  got  to  be  a  woman  you  can't  whip  her." 

They  left  the  hopeless  case,  and  began  to  talk  of  the 
things  they  had  heard,  especially  the  miracle  which 
Dylks  had  promised  to  work.  "  He  's  appointed  it  for 
to-night,"  Gillespie  said,  "  but  I  don't  believe  but  what 
he  '11  put  it  off,  if  the  coast  ain't  clear  when  the  time 
comes.  He  always  had  the  knack  of  leaving  the  back 
door  open  when  he  saw  trouble  coming  up  to  the  front 
gate." 

"  You  can't  tell  me  anything  about  Joseph  Dylks," 
Nancy  said.  She  was  ironing,  and  at  the  last  word  she 
brought  the  iron  down  with  the  heavy  thump  that 
women  give  with  it  at  an  emphatic  word  in  their  talk. 
"  What  I  wonder  is  that  a  man  like  you,  David,  could 
care  what  people  in  such  a  place  as  this  would  say  if 
they  found  out  that  I  was  livin'  with  Laban  when  I 
knowed  Dylks  was  alive.  There  wouldn't  be  any 
trouble  with  his  followers,  I  reckon.  He  'd  just  tell 
'em  he  never  saw  me  in  his  life  before,  and  that  would 
do  them." 

"  Nancy,"  her  brother  turned  solemnly  upon  her, 
"  as  sure  as  I  'm  standing  here  I  don't  care  for  that  any 
more.  If  you  say  the  word,  I  '11  go  and  tell  Laban  to 
come  back  to  you." 

"  You  're  safe  there,  David.  If  you  've  parted  with 

90 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

your  conscience,  I  've  got  it  from  you.  I  wonder  you 
don't  go  and  follow  after  Joseph  Dylks  too.  All  the 
best  and  smartest  men  in  the  place  believe  in  him. 
Just  look  at  Mr.  Enraghty!  A  man  with  more  brains 
and  book  learnin'  than  all  the  rest  put  together ;  willin' 
to  be  the  Apostle  Paul  because  Joseph  Dylks  called  him 
it,  and  gets  up  in  the  Temple  where  he  used  to  preach 
Christ  Jesus  and  Him  crucified,  and  tells  the  people  to 
behold  their  God  in  Joseph  Dylks!  There's  just  one 
excuse  for  him:  he's  crazy.  If  he  ain't  he's  the 
wickedest  man  in  Leatherwood,  the  wickedest  man  in 
the  whole  world ;  he 's  worse  than  Joseph  Dylks,  be 
cause  he  knows  better.  Joseph  is  such  a  liar  that  he 
could  always  make  himself  believe  what  he  said.  But 
it 's  no  use  your  stayin'  here,  David !  "  She  suddenly 
broke  off  to  turn  on  her  brother.  "If  you  're  a  mind 
to  let  Jane  come,  I  '11  try  what  I  can  do  with  her." 

The  old  man  faltered  at  the  door.  "  Are  you  going 
to  tell  her,  Nancy?" 

"  I  'm  not  going  to  tell  you,  whether  I  am  or  not, 
David!" 

Her  words  began  harshly,  but  ended  with  his  name 
tenderly,  pitifully  uttered. 

She  called  after  him  as  he  moved  from  her  door, 
heavily,  weakly,  more  like  an  old  man  than  she  had 
noted  him  yet,  "  I  '11  talk  to  Jane,  and  whatever  I  say 
will  be  for  her  good."  She  watched  him  out  of  sight 
from  where  she  was  working;  then  she  went  to  the 
door,  with  some  mind  to  call  more  kindly  yet  to  him; 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

but  he  was  not  to  be  seen,  and  she  went  back  to  her 
ironing,  and  ironed  more  swiftly  than  before,  moving 
her  lips  in  a  sort  of  wrathful  revery.  From  time  to 
time  she  changed  her  iron  for  one  at  the  hearth,  which 
she  touched  with  her  wetted  finger  to  test  its  heat,  and 
returned  to  her  table  with  an  unconscious  smile  of  satis 
faction  in  its  quick  responsive  hiss.  In  her  movements 
to  and  fro  she  spoke  to  the  baby,  which  babbled  in 
articulately  up  to  her  from  the  floor.  Then  she  seemed 
to  forget  it,  and  it  was  in  one  of  these  moments  of  ob 
livion  that  she  was  startled  by  a  sharp  cry  of  terror 
from  it.  A  man  was  looking  in  at  the  door. 


92 


X 

THE  man  stood  with  one  foot  on  the  log  doorstep 
outside  and  the  other  planted  on  the  threshold  of 
the  cabin. 

Nancy  came  toward  him  with  her  iron  held  at  arms' 
length  before  her.  "What  do  you  want?"  she  de 
manded  fiercely. 

"  Give  me  to  drink,"  he  said,  with  a  grin. 

"  Go  round  to  the  well,"  she  answered. 

The  man  bent  his  body  a  little  forward,  and  looked 
in,  but  he  did  not  venture  to  lift  his  other  foot  to  the 
threshold.  "  Where  is  your  husband  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  have  no  husband.     What  is  it  to  you  ?  " 

" '  Thou  sayest  well  ...  for  him  whom  thou  now 
hast,  is  not  thy  husband.'  You  don't  look  a  bit  older, 
and  you  're  as  handsome  as  ever,  Nancy.  I  suppose 
that 's  his,"  he  said,  turning  his  eye  towards  the  little 
one  on  the  floor,  lifted  by  her  hands  half  upright,  and 
peering  at  him,  in  conditional  alarm. 

"  It 's  mine,"  she  retorted. 

"  Oh,  anybody  could  see  that.  It 's  the  image  of 
you.  And  so  is  our  Joey.  You  don't  let  your  young 
ones  favor  your  husbands  much,  Nancy;  and  yet  you 
was  not  always  so  set  against  me.  What 's  your  notion 
letting  Joey  come  to  the  Temple  ?  " 

93 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  To  see  for  himself  what  you  are." 

"That's  what  I  thought,  maybe.  Well,  he  don't 
seem  to  take  to  me  much,  if  I  can  judge  from  his  face 
when  he  looks  my  way.  I  hain't  been  able  to  give  him 
all  the  attention  I  may  later.  But  you  need  n't  be 
troubled  about  him.  I  won't  do  anything  to  make  you 
anxious.  Nancy,  I  wish  you  could  feel  as  friendly  to 
me  as  I  do  to  you.  Will  you  let  me  have  something  to 
drink  out  of?" 

"  Go  round,"  she  said,  "  and  I  '11  bring  the  gourd  to 
you." 

Dylks  laughed,  but  he  obeyed,  and  found  his  way  to 
the  well  where  he  lowered  the  bucket  at  the  end  of  the 
swoop,  and  stood  waiting  for  Nancy  to  follow  him 
with  the  dipper  fashioned  from  a  long-necked  gourd, 
as  the  drinking  cup  oftenest  was  in  the  western  coun 
try  of  those  days.  She  held  it  out  to  him  with  her  head 
turned  and  he  carried  it  to  his  lips  from  the  brimming 
bucket. 

He  drank  it  empty,  and  then  turned  it  over  with  a 
long,  deep  "Ah  —  h  —  h!"  of  satisfaction.  "That 
was  good!  Good  as  the  buttermilk  would  have  been 
that  you  did  n't  think  to  offer  me.  Well,  I  thank  you 
for  the  water,  anyway,  you  woman  of  Samaria."  He 
held  the  gourd  toward  her  but  she  did  not  take  it,  and 
he  laughed  again.  "If  you  could  have  had  your  way 
without  sin  you  'd  have  made  it  poison,  I  reckon. 
Don't  you  know  I  could  drink  poison  the  same  as 
water?" 

94 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  You  don't/'  she  said,  and  as  he  swung  the  gourd  in 
tacit  question  what  to  do  with  it  since  she  did  not  of 
fer  to  take  it,  she  bade  him,  "  Put  it  down." 

He  did  so,  and  she  set  her  foot  on  the  thin  bowl  and 
crushed  it  like  an  egg  shell.  He  laughed.  "  Is  that 
the  way  you  feel  about  me,  Nancy?  Pity  for  the 
gourd,  but  don't  you  believe  that  if  I  was  to  will  it  so, 
it  would  come  good  and  whole  again  ?  " 

"  You  don't  believe  it,"  she  said. 

"  It 's  not  for  me  to  believe  or  to  unbelieve,"  he  an 
swered.  "  I  am  that  I  am." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  taunted  him,  "  you  've  tried  saying 
such  things,  and  you  're  not  afraid  because  it  ha'  n't 
killed  you  yet.  You  think  if  you  was  just  a  man  it 
would  kill  you." 

"  Who  can  tell  what  I  think  ?  Perhaps  something 
like  what  you  say  has  gone  through  my  mind.  Why, 
Nancy,  if  you  would  listen  once,  I  could  convince  you 
of  it,  too.  Come,  now,  look  at  it  in  this  light !  If  God 
lets  a  man  say  and  do  what  the  man  pleases  —  and  He 
has  to  do  it  every  now  and  then  according  to  what  the 
Book  tells  —  why  ain't  the  man  equal  with  God  ?  You 
believe,  maybe,  that  you  would  be  struck  dead  if  you 
said  the  things  that  I  do ;  but  why  ain't  I  struck  dead  ? 
Why,  either  because  it  ain't  so,  at  all,  or  because  I  'm 
God.  It  stands  to  reason,  don't  it  ?  What  is  God,  any 
way  ?  If  He  was  so  mighty  and  terrible,  would  n't  He 
have  ways  of  showing  it  in  these  times  just  as  much  as 
in  those  old  times  that  we  read  about  in  the  Book? 

95 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Don't  you  know  that  if  there  was  anything  besides  you 
and  me,  here  now,  it  would  have  sent  the  lightning  out 
of  this  clear  sky  and  blasted  me  when  I  said,  I  was 
God  ?  Well,  now  we  '11  try  it  again.  Listen !  /  am 
God,  Jehovah,  ruler  of  heaven  and  earth !  "  He  stood 
a  moment,  smiling.  "  There  you  see !  I  'm  safe  and 
sound  as  ever.  May  be  you  think  it  would  be  worse  if 
you  said  I  was  God.  Lots  have  said  it.  Last  night  all 
Leatherwood  was  hanging  to  my  arms  and  legs  down 
there  in  the  Temple  worshiping  me.  If  I  had  n't  been 
God  it  would  have  made  me  sick !  No  mere  man  could 
stand  the  praising  God  gets  in  the  churches  all  the 
time.  Why  that  proves  I  'm  what  I  say  I  am,  if  noth 
ing  else  does.  I  saw  it  from  the  first ;  I  felt  it ;  I  knew 
it."  He  ended  with  his  laugh. 

She  stayed  herself  by  the  trunk  of  the  tree  overhang 
ing  the  well.  "  Yes,  you  've  got  all  Leatherwood  with 
you,  or  as  good  as  all,  and  I  don't  wonder  it 's  made  you 
crazy.  But  don't  you  be  so  sure.  Some  day  there 's 
going  to  be  a  reckoning  with  you,  and  you  're  going  to 
wake  up  from  this  dream  of  yours."  She  seemed  to 
gather  force  as  she  faced  him.  "  I  could  feel  to  be  glad 
it  was  a  dream;  I  could  feel  to  pity  you.  But  don't 
you  believe  but  what  it 's  going  to  turn  against  you. 
Some  day,  sooner  or  later,  some  man  's  going  to  show 
the  people  what  you  are ;  some  woman  — " 

"  There  you  've  said  it,"  he  broke  in.  ff  That 's  what 
I  've  come  for.  You  're  the  only  woman  that  could  hurt 
me,  not  because  you  think  you  know  me  the  best,  but  be- 


"You   believe,   maybe,   that    yen    would   be    struck   dead    if   you 
said   the  things   that    I   do ;   but   why   ain't   1   struck   dead  ?" 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

cause  you  're  the  bravest  woman  that  ever  was. 
That 's  why  I  've  got  to  have  you  with  me  in  my  dis 
pensation.  Male  and  female  created  He  them  in  His 
image.  I  can  swing  all  Leatherwood  by  myself,  but 
Leatherwood  's  nothing.  If  I  had  you  with  me  we 
could  swing  the  world !  Nancy,  why  don't  you  come 
to  me  ?  "  He  flung  his  arms  wide  and  bent  his  stal 
wart  shape  toward  her.  "  Leatherwood  's  nothing,  I 
tell  you.  Why,  you  ought  to  see  the  towns  Over-the- 
Mountains;  you  ought  to  see  Philadelphia,  where  I 
came  from  the  last  thing.  Everywhere  the  people  are 
waiting  for  a  sign,  just  as  they  've  always  been,  and  we 
would  come  with  a  sign  —  plenty  of  signs:  the  perfect 
Godhead,  male  and  female,  for  the  greatest  sign  of  all. 
Why,  I  wonder  there  's  a  Christian  woman  living,  with 
the  slur  that  the  idea  of  just  one  male  God  throws  on 
women !  Don't  you  know  that  the  Egyptians  and  the 
Greeks  and  the  Romans,  and  everybody  but  the 
Hebrews,  had  a  married  God,  and  that  the  Godhead  was 
husband  and  wife?  If  you  had  ever  read  anything  at 
all  you  would  know  that." 

The  bad,  vulgar  beauty  of  his  face,  set  in  its  flowing 
beard  and  hair,  glowed  on  her. 

"  You  need  n't  look  that  way  at  me,  Joseph  Dylks," 
she  answered.  "  I  don't  want  any  book-1'arning  to 
know  what  you  are.  You  're  what  you  always  was,  a 
lazy,  good-for-nothing  —  Oh,  I  don't  say  you  was  n't 
handsome ;  that  was  what  done  it  for  me  when  I  made 
you  my  God;  but  I  won't  make  you  my  God  now, 

99 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

though  you  're  as  handsome  as  ever  you  was ;  hand 
somer,  if  that 's  any  comfort  to  you." 

"  Nothing  to  what  you  're  coming  to  me  would  be, 
Nancy." 

"  You  '11  have  to  do  without,  then.  You  think  you 
can  twist  me  round  your  finger,  like  you  used  to,  if  you 
willed  it,  but  I  've  outlived  you,  you  and  your  will. 
Now  I  want  you  to  go,  and  not  ever  come  near  me 
again;  or  I  '11  have  Laban  here,  the  next  time." 

"  Laban  ?  Laban  ?  Oh,  the  man  who  is  not  thy 
husband !  I  'm  not  afraid  of  your  having  Laban,  here ; 
let  him  come.  I  Ve  converted  worse  sinners  than 
Laban."  He  had  remained,  bent  forward  with  his 
gaze  still  on  her;  now  he  lifted  himself,  and  said, 
as  if  it  were  another  word  of  his  spell,  "  Come, 
Nancy!" 

She  answered,  "  If  I  thought  there  was  any  mercy 
in  you  — " 

"Why,  I'm  All-merciful,  as  well  as  All-mighty, 
Nancy !  "  he  jeered. 

"  No," —  as  if  concluding  her  thought,  she  said, 
"  it 's  no  use!  You  couldn't  do  a  right  thing  if  you 
wanted  to;  you  can  only  do  wrong  things.  I  see 
that." 

"  What  is  right  and  what  is  wrong?  When  you 
stand  by  my  side  in  your  half  of  the  godhead,  you 
will  know  that  there  is  no  difference.  Why,  even  a 
poor  human  being  can  make  wrong  right  by  wanting  it 
enough,  and  with  God  there  is  nothing  but  one  kind  of 

100 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

thing,  the  thing  that  God  allows.  It  don't  matter 
whether  it 's  letting  the  serpent  tempt  that  fool  woman 
in  Eden,  or  Joseph's  brethren  selling  him  into  Egypt, 
or  Samuel  hewing  Agag  in  pieces,  or  the  Israelites 
smiting  the  heathen,  or  David  setting  Uriah  in  the  fore 
front  of  the  battle,  or  Solomon  having  hundreds  of 
wives ;  it 's  all  right  if  God  wills  it.  You  '11  say  it 's 
put  right  by  what  happens  to  them  that  do  wrong.  Be 
God  yourself  and  the  right  and  the  wrong  will  take  care 
of  themselves.  I  want  you  to  come  and  help  me. 
Why,  with  the  sister  and  daughter  of  old  David  Gil- 
lespie  both  following  me  — 

She  suddenly  shrank  from  the  grandeur  of  judging 
of  him,  to  the  measure  of  her  need  of  his  forbearance. 
"  Oh,  why  can't  you  let  David  alone?  What 's  he  ever 
done  to  you  ?  " 

"  What  have  I  ever  done  to  him  ?  "  Dylks  demanded, 
temporizing  on  her  ground. 

"  Why  can't  you  let  Jane  alone  ?  " 

He  gave  his  equine  snort,  as  if  the  sense  of  his  power 
could  best  vent  itself  so.  "  Why  can't  she  let  me 
alone?  That  girl  bothers  me  worse  than  all  the  other 
women  in  Leatherwood  put  together.  She  won't  let 
me  let  her  alone." 

"  She  was  all  right  before  you  came.  Why  can't  you 
let  her  go  back  to  Hughey  Blake?  " 

"Hughey  Blake?  Oh!  Then  it  wasn't— "  A 
light  of  malign  intelligence  shone  in  his  eyes.  "  Well, 
I  have  n't  got  anything  against  Hughey  Blake." 

101 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Oh,  if  you  'd  only  let  her  go  back  to  Hughey!  If 
you  'd  only  let  her  alone,  I  'd  — " 

"  You  'd  what  ?  "  He  bounded  toward  her,  and  at 
her  recoil  he  laughed  and  said,  "  I  did  n't  mean  to  scare 
you." 

"  I  was  n't  scared.  You  can't  scare  me,  Joseph 
Dylks.  It's  past  that,  long  ago,  with  you  and  me. 
But  if  I  only  knowed  what  you  was  up  to  —  what  you 
would  really  take  to  let  David  alone ;  to  let  her  go  back 
to  Hughey  Blake  —  But  there  ain't  any  pity  in  you !  " 

"  Don't  I  tell  you  I  'm  full  of  pity  ?  Look  here, 
Nancy ;  I  don't  ask  you  to  come  with  me,  to  be  one  with 
me,  to  go  halves  in  the  godhead,  all  at  once.  It 's  been 
step  by  step  with  me :  first  exhorter,  then  prophet,  then 
disciple,  then  the  Son,  then  the  Father :  but  it 's  been  as 
easy!  You  don't  know  how  faith,  the  faith  of  the 
elect,  helps  along;  and  you  would  have  that  from  the 
beginning;  they  would  take  you  on  my  word,  you 
would  n't  have  to  say  or  do  anything.  But  that 's  not 
what  I  'm  expecting  now,"  he  hurried  to  add,  smiling 
at  the  cloud  of  refusal  in  her  face.  "  I  'm  not  fooling; 
all  I  ask  now  is  to  have  you  come  and  see  me  do  a 
miracle  at  Brother  Kingston's  to-night.  I  '11  do  two 
miracles  if  you  '11  come,  and  one  will  be  sending  Jane 
Gillespie  away  from  me  and  back  to  Hughey  Blake. 
You  '11  want  to  see  that,  even  if  you  don't  want  to  see 
me  turn  a  bolt  of  cloth  into  seamless  raiment  by  the 
touch  of  my  hand." 

"  You  are  a  wicked  man,  Joseph  Dylks,"  the  woman 

102 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

solemnly  answered.  "  And  I  'm  sorry  I  asked  you  any 
thing.  You  couldn't  do  good,  if  you  tried."  She 
pulled  her  sunbonnet  across  her  face,  as  if  to  hide  it  for 
shame,  and  went  back  slowly  toward  the  cabin. 

"  Salvation !  "  Dylks  shouted  after  her,  and  gave  his 
equine  snort.  He  began  to  sing,  as  he  took  his  way 
through  the  woods, 

"  Plunged  in  a  gulf  of  dark  despair 
We  wretched  sinners  lay." 

At  first  he  sang  boldly,  filling  the  woods  with  the 
mocking  of  his  hymn.  But  at  the  sound  of  footsteps 
crackling  over  the  dry  falling  twigs  toward  him  inter 
mittently,  as  if  they  paused  in  question,  and  then  re 
sumed  their  course  toward  him,  his  voice  fell,  brokenly 
silencing  itself  till  at  the  encounter  of  a  man  glimpsed 
through  the  trees,  and  pausing  in  a  common  arrest,  it 
ceased  altogether. 

"Who  are  you?"  Dylks  demanded  of  the  slight, 
work  worn  figure  before  him. 

"  Laban  Billings,"  the  man  faltered 

"  Well,  then,  Laban  Billings,  make  way  for  the  Lord 
thy  God/'  Dylks  powerfully  returned,  and  as  if  he  had 
borne  the  man  down  before  him,  he  strode  over  the 
place  where  he  had  stood,  and  lost  himself  in  the 
shadows  beyond. 

Laban  hurried  on,  stumbling  and  looking  back  over 
his  shoulder,  till  he  found  himself  face  to  face  with 
Nancy  at  the  door  of  the  shed  behind  the  cabin.  She 

103 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

was  looking,  too,  in  the  direction  Dylks  had  ceased 
from  their  sight  in  the  woods.  They  started  from 
each  other  in  mutual  fright. 

"  Nancy !  "  he  entreated.  "  I  did  n't  see  you.  I  —  I 
was  n't  comin'  to  see  you,  indeed,  indeed  I  was  n't.  I 
just  thought  I  might  ketch  sight  of  the  baby  —  It 's 
pretty  hard  to  do  without  you  both !  And  I  was  just 
passin' —  Well,  they  've  knocked  off  work  at  the 
Corners,  so  's  to  come  to  the  miracle  at  Kingston's 
Mill  to-night  —  But  I  '11  go  right  away  again, 
Nancy." 

"  You  need  n't,  Laban.     Come  in  and  see  the  baby." 

"  Nancy !  "  he  uttered  joyfully.  Then  he  faltered, 
"  Do  you  think  it  will  be  right  — " 

"  Oh,  who  knows  what 's  right  ?  "  she  retorted. 
Then  at  his  stare,  she  demanded,  "  Did  n't  you  run 
across  anybody  in  the  woods  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"What  did  he  look  like?" 

"  Like  what  they  tell  the  Leatherwood  God  looks  like. 
They  're  half  crazy  about  him  at  the  Corners.  They 
don't  hardly  talk  about  anything  else." 

"  Did  you  think  he  looked  like  God?  " 

"  More  like  Satan,  I  should  say.  He  's  handsome 
enough  for  Satan." 

"  It  was  Joseph  Dylks." 

"  Yes,  I  s'picioned  that." 

"  And  he  's  been  here,  wanting  me  to  go  away  with 
him  —  Over-the-Mountains." 

104 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Laban  made  a  dry  sound  in  his  throat  and  it  was  by  a 
succession  of  efforts  that  he  could  say,  "  And  —  and  — 
and—" 

"Oh,  could  you  ask,  Laban?"  she  lamented. 
"  You  're  my  husband,  don't  you  know  it  ?  "  At  the 
sound  of  her  lament  a  little  voice  of  fear  and  hope  an 
swered  from  the  cabin.  The  father-hunger  came  into 
the  man's  weak  face,  making  it  strong.  "  Come  in  and 
see  our  baby,  Laban." 

She  put  out  her  hand  to  him  innocently  like  a  little 
girl  to  a  little  boy,  and  he  took  it.  "  I  know  it 's  just 
for  the  baby ;  and  I  feel  to  thank  you,  Nancy,"  he  said, 
and  together  they  went  into  the  cabin. 

At  sight  of  him  the  baby  crowed  recognition.  "  She 
knowed  you  in  a  minute,"  the  mother  said,  and  she 
straightened  the  skirt  of  the  little  one  which  the  father 
had  deranged  in  lifting  the  child  from  the  floor.  "  I 
don't  believe  she  '11  ever  forget  you ;  I  reckon  she  won't 
if  I  have  any  say  in  it.  Me  and  Joey  talks  about 
you  every  night  when  we  're  gettin'  her  to  sleep."  She 
gurgled  out  a  half-sob,  half-laugh,  as  the  little  one 
pulled  and  pushed  at  his  face,  which  he  twisted  this 
way  and  that,  to  get  her  hand  in  his  mouth.  "  She  al 
ways  cared  more  for  you  than  she  did  for  me.  I  '11 
set  you  a  piece,  Laban;  I  was  just  going  to  get  me  a 
bite  of  something;  I  don't  take  my  meals  very  regular, 
with  you  not  here." 

"  Well,  I  am  a  little  hungry  with  the  walk  from  the 
Corners,  after  such  an  early  breakfast." 

105 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Well,  you  just  keep  her/' 

"  Oh,  / '//  keep  her,"  he  exulted. 

She  hustled  about  the  hearth,  getting  the  simple  meal, 
which  she  made  more  than  she  had  meant,  and  they  had 
a  joyous  strange  time  together  at  the  leaf  she  stayed 
from  the  well. 

He  kept  the  baby  in  his  lap  while  he  ate.  Then  he 
walked  the  floor  till  she  fell  asleep  in  his  arms.  When 
he  lifted  himself  from  laying  her  in  the  rough  cradle 
which  he  had  himself  made  for  her,  he  said,  without 
looking  at  the  mother,  "  Now,  I  must  be  going,  Nancy/' 

"  Don't  go  on  account  of  me,  Laban,"  she  said  with 
the  same  fierce  courage  she  had  shown  in  driving  him 
from  her  before.  "If  it  's  for  me — " 

"  Nancy,  I  've  thought  it  all  out  since  I  been  away. 
And  I  reckon  I  ain't  your  husband,  in  the  sight  of  God. 
You  was  right  about  that ;  and  I  won't  ever  come  back 
again  till  —  as  long  as  — "  He  glanced  wistfully  at  the 
little  one  in  the  cradle,  and  then  he  turned  to  go  out  of 
the  door.  "  And  —  and  —  good-by,  Nancy." 

She  followed  him  to  the  door.     "  Kiss  me,  Laban !  " 

He  put  away  the  arms  she  lifted  toward  him. 
"  No,"  he  said,  "  I  reckon  it  would  n't  be  right,"  and  he 
turned  and  walked  swiftly  away,  without  looking  back. 


1 06 


XI 

THE  woman  stood  watching  the  man,  as  long  as 
she  could  see  him,  and  long  after,  with  her  left 
hand  lifted  to  the  jamb  of  the  door,  higher  than  her  head. 
Then  from  the  distance  where  he  passed  from  sight 
over  the  brow  of  the  hill,  another  figure  of  a  man  ap 
peared,  and  slowly  made  its  way  down  to  the  cabin. 
As  she  knew  while  he  was  still  far  off,  it  was  Matthew 
Braile  who,  as  long  as  he  sat  in  the  seat  of  the  scorner, 
with  his  chair  tilted  against  the  wall,  seemed  a  strong 
middle-aged  man;  but  when  he  descended  from  his 
habitual  place,  with  the  crook  of  his  stick,  worn  smooth 
by  use,  in  his  hard  palm,  one  saw  that  he  was  elderly 
and  stiff  almost  to  lameness.  He  carried  himself  with 
a  forward  droop,  and  his  gaze  bent  ponderingly  on  the 
ground,  as  if  he  were  not  meaning  to  look  her  way, 
and  would  pass  without  seeing  her. 

"  Squire  Braile ! "  she  called  to  him,  and  as  he 
straightened  himself  and  turned  round  toward  her,  she 
besought  him,  "  Do  you  believe  there  's  any  God  ?  " 

"  Oh !  "  he  answered,  and  he  smiled  at  the  challenge 
from  the  somewhat  lonely  elevation  which  he  knew  the 
thoughts  of  his  neighbors  kept,  aloof  from  the  sordid 
levels  of  politics  and  business.  "  Why,  Nancy,  have  n't 
we  got  one,  right  here  in  Leatherwood  ?  " 

"  That 's  what  makes  me  think  there  ain't  any,  Squire 
107 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Braile.     If  you  're  not  in  too  much  of  a  hurry,  I  wish 
you  'd  stop  and  talk  to  me  a  minute.     I  'm  in  trouble." 
"  Most  women  are;  or  men,  for  the  matter  of  that. 
What  is  it,  Nancy  ?  I  'm  rather  stronger  on  law  than  gos 
pel  ;  but  if  I  can  be  any  help,  why  you  know  your  Joey  's 
an  old  friend  of  mine,  and  I  '11  be  glad  to  help  you." 
He  came  toward  her  where  she  had  stepped  from  the 
threshold  and  sat  crouched  on  the  hewn  log,  and  stood 
looking  down  at  her  before  he  sank  at  her  side. 

:(  You  may  think  it 's  pretty  strange,  my  asking  you 
for  help.  Won't  you  set  ?  I  can't  let  you  come  inside 
because  the  baby  's  just  got  to  sleep." 

"  Well,"  he  assented,  "  if  you  're  not  afraid  to  be  seen 
with  such  an  infidel  in  the  full  light  of  day,"  he  jested, 
confronting  her  from  the  log  where  he  sank.  "  What 
would  Brother  Gillespie  say?  " 

She  ignored  his  kindly  mockery,  and  again  she  began, 
"  What  makes  you  believe  there  's  a  God  ?  You  don't 
believe  in  the  Bible?" 

"  Not  altogether,  Nancy." 
"  Do  you  believe  in  the  Bible  God?  " 
"  As  much  as  the  Bible  '11  let  me." 
"  Then,  do  you  believe  in  the  miracles  ?  " 
"  What  are  you  after,  Nancy  Billings?  " 
"If  you  saw  a  miracle,  would  you  believe  it?  " 
"  That  would  depend  on  who  did  it.     Now,  I  want 
you  to  let  me  do  a  little  of  the  catechizing.     I  've  liked 
you  and  Laban  ever  since  you  came  to  Leatherwood, 
and  you  know  how  your  Joey  has  all  but  brought 

108 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

my  boy  back  to  me.     Well,  do  you  believe  in  God? " 

"No!" 

"Why  don't  you?" 

"  A  God  that  would  let  Joseph  Dylks  claim  to  be 
Him,  and  let  them  poor  fools  kneel  down  to  him  and 
worship  him?  Would  an  all-wise  and  all-powerful 
God  do  that?" 

"  What  makes  you  say  all-powerful?  Have  n't  you 
seen  time  and  time  again  when  good  did  n't  prevail 
against  evil,  and  don't  you  suppose  He  'd  have  helped 
it  if  He  could?  And  why  do  you  call  Him  all-wise? 
Is  it  because  men  are  no-wise?  That  would  n't  prove 
it,  would  it?  And  about  the  miracles,  what  does  a 
miracle  prove  ?  Does  it  prove  that  the  person  who  does 
it  is  of  God,  or  just  that  faith  is  stronger  than  reason 
in  those  who  think  it 's  happened  ?  " 

"But  sin:  do  you  think  there's  such  a  thing?" 
Nancy  pursued. 

"  There  you  are,  catechizing  me  again !  Yes,  I  think 
there 's  sin,  because  I  've  known  it  in  myself,  if  I 
have  n't  in  others." 

"  And  what  is  it  —  sin?  " 

!t  Well,  Nancy,  it  seems  to  vary  according  to  the  time 
and  place.  But  I  should  say  it  wras  going  against  what 
you  knew  was  right  at  the  time  being." 

"  And  do  you  always  know  ?  " 

"  Always !  "  the  old  man  answered  solemnly.  "  I 
never  was  mistaken  in  my  life,  whether  I  went  for  or 
against  it,  and  I  've  done  both." 

109 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

The  woman  drew  a  hapless  sigh.  "  Yes,  I  reckon 
it 's  so/' 

Braile  was  putting  out  his  stick  to  help  himself  in  ris 
ing,  after  the  silence  she  let  follow.  She  came  from  it, 
and  reached  a  staying  hand  toward  him.  "  And  sup- 
posin' —  supposin' —  there  was  a  woman  —  that  there 
was  a  woman,  and  her  husband  left  her,  and  he  kept 
away  years  and  years,  till  she  thought  he  was  dead, 
and  she  married  somebody  else,  and  then  he  come  back, 
would  it  be  a  sin  for  her  to  keep  on  with  the  other  one 
when  she  knowed  the  first  one  was  alive  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  that 's  what  would  be  called  a  sin,  Nancy. 
Not  that  I  'd  be  very  quick  to  condemn  her  — " 

"  And  supposin7  that  the  first  one  had  n't  claimed  her 
yet,  and  she  'd  made  the  other  one  leave  her,  and  then 
the  first  one  come  and  wanted  her  to  join  him  in  the 
wickedest  thing  that  ever  was,  and  she  was  n't  as  strong 
as  she  had  been,  and  she  felt  to  need  the  protection-like 
of  the  other  one :  would  it  be  a  sin  for  her  to  take  him 
back?" 

Braile  made  again  as  if  to  rise.  "  I  reckon  you  'd 
better  talk  to  Mis'  Braile  about  a  thing  like  that.  You 
see,  a  man  — " 

She  stayed  him  again  with  a  beseeching  gesture. 
"  Squire  Braile,  do  you  believe  that  God  is  good  ?  " 

"  Ah,  now,  I  'm  more  at  home  in  a  question  like  that. 
You  might  say  that  if  He  lets  evil  prevail,  it 's  either  be 
cause  He  can't  help  it,  or  because  He  don't  care,  or  even 
because  He  thinks  it 's  best  for  mankind  to  let  them 

no 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

have  their  swing  when  they  choose  to  do  evil.     I  in 
cline  to  think  that 's  my  idea.     He  's  made  man,  we  '11 
say,  made  him  in  His  own  image,  and  He  's  put  him 
here  in  a  world  of  his  own,  to  do  the  best  or  the  worst  ' 
with  it.  '  The  way  I  look  at  it,  He  does  n't  want  to  keep 
interfering  with  man,  but  lets  him  play  the  fool  or  play ! 
the  devil  just  as  he  's  a  mind  to.     But  every  now  and  \ 
then  He  sends  him  word.     If  we  're  going  to  take  what 
the  Book  says,  He  sent  him  Word  made  flesh,  once,  and 
I  reckon  He  sends  him  Word  made  Spirit  whenever 
there  's«  a  human  creature  comes  into  the  world,  all 
loving  and  all  unselfish  —  like  your  Joey,  or  —  my  — 
my  Jimmy  — " 

The  old  man's  voice  died  in  his  throat,  and  the 
woman  laid  her  hand  on  his  knee.  He  trembled  to  his 
feet,  now.  "  When  I  think  of  such  Spirits  coming  into 
this  world,  I  'm  not  afraid  of  all  the  devils  out  of  hell 
Dylksing  round." 

He  walked  on  down  the  road,  and  Nancy  went 
indoors  and  went  about  her  household  work.  She 
cleaned  the  dishes  and  trimmed  the  hearth ;  she  spun  the 
flax  which  tufted  her  wheel;  then  she  took  the  rags  of 
some  garments  past  repair,  and  in  the  afternoon  shadow 
of  her  threshold  she  cut  them  into  ribbons  and  sewed 
them  end  to  end  and  wound  them  into  balls,  for  weav 
ing  into  carpets. 

People,  as  the  evening  drew  on,  went  by,  singly,  in 
twos,  in  groups,  silent  for  the  most  part,  but  some  talk 
ing  seriously.  These  looked  at  Nancy  without  speak- 

iii 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

ing,  but  some  asked,  "  Ain't  you  goin'  to  the  Miracle?  " 
and  she  shook  her  head  for  answer. 

She  had  brushed  her  hair  and  put  it  up  neatly  after 
her  indoors  work  was  done,  but  she  was  in  what  she 
would  have  called  her  every-day  clothes,  and  the  passers 
had  on  their  Sunday  clothes ;  the  girls  wore  their  newest 
plaids  of  linsey-woolsy,  and  the  young  men  wore  tall 
beaver  hats,  and  long  high-collared  coats,  with  tight 
pantaloons,  which  some  pretenders  to  the  latest  fashions 
had  strapped  under  their  boots.  They  had  on  their 
Sunday  faces,  too;  some  severe,  some  sly,  some  simple 
and  kind,  but  all  with  an  effect  of  condition  for  what 
ever  might  be  going  to  happen.  They  went  as  the 
people  of  Leatherwood  went  to  the  Temple  on  the  Sab 
baths  before  their  meetings  had  been  turned  from  the 
orderly  worship  of  the  Most  High  to  the  riot  of  emo 
tions  raised  by  the  strange  man  who  proclaimed  himself 
God.  In  their  expectations  of  the  Sign  which  he  had 
promised  to  give  them,  both  those  who  believed  and 
those  who  denied  him  found  themselves  in  a  sort  of 
truce.  They  were  as  if  remanded  to  the  peace  of  the 
time  before  the  difference  which  had  rent  the  com 
munity  into  warring  fragments.  In  this  truce  brothers 
were  speaking  who  had  not  spoken  since  they  accepted 
or  refused  the  new  God ;  families  walked  together  in  the 
harmony  which  he  had  lately  counseled ;  children  hon 
ored  their  believing  or  disbelieving  parents;  fathers 
and  mothers  ceased  to  abhor  their  children  as  limbs  of 
Satan,  according  to  their  faith  or  un  faith.  "  Let 

112 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

everybody  come  to  the  Sign,"  he  had  exhorted  them 
when  he  promised  them  the  miracle,  "  just  as  if  they 
had  never  seen  or  heard  me  before,  and  let  His  crea 
tures  judge  their  Creator  with  love  for  one  another  in 
their  hearts." 

In  all  there  was  an  air  of  release,  and  the  young 
people  looked  as  if  they  were  going  to  one  of  the 
social  gatherings  they  would  have  called  a  frolic,  in 
the  backwoods  phrase.  Nancy  heard  a  girl  titter  in 
response  to  her  companion's  daring  whisper,  "  Wonder 
if  Mis'  Kingston  's  going  to  pass  round  the  apples  and 
cider."  They  walked  in  couples,  openly  or  demurely 
glad  of  being  together  for  the  time;  and  as  if  the 
miracle  before  them  were  the  wonder  of  coming  home 
through  the  woods  with  their  arms  around  each  other, 
whether  the  miracle  of  the  seamless  raiment  was 
wrought  or  not. 

It  was  their  elders  who  were  more  singly  set  upon 
the  fulfilment  of  the  sign,  and  who  went  with  a  more 
passionate  expectation  in  the  doubt  or  the  faith  which 
differenced  them;  children  were  more  bent  upon  the 
affair  of  the  evening  than  the  young  girls  and  the  young 
men.  They  had  been  privileged  in  being  allowed  to  go 
with  their  fathers  and  mothers  when  they  had  not  been 
punished  in  being  left  at  home  and  they  subdued  them 
selves  as  they  could  to  the  terms  of  keeping  step  beside 
them  with  the  bare  feet  that  felt  winged  and  ached  to 
fly.  Old  and  young  they  passed  Nancy's  cabin  thinly 
or  at  intervals,  but  sometimes  in  close  groups;  they 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

glanced  kindly  or  unkindly  askance  at  her  when  they 
did  not  question  her,  and  very  possibly  they  read  in 
her  sitting  there  boldly  aloof  from  them  a  defiance  of 
the  question  which  had  begun  to  gather  about  her  in 
the  common  mind  since  Laban  had  left  her  for  his 
work  at  the  Cross  Roads,  with  none  of  those  Saturday 
night  returns  which  it  had  at  first  expected.  It  was 
known  that  Laban  was  of  the  same  opposition  to  Dylks 
as  Nancy  and  her  brother,  and  it  could  not  be  that 
Dylks  had  caused  the  break  between  her  and  Laban 
which  no  one  would  have  noticed  if  it  had  been  an 
effect  of  religion.  It  could  only  be  that  Laban  had 
left  her,  or  that  her  temper  had  driven  him  away. 

With  the  last  came  a  crowd  of  boys,  whose  lagging 
she  understood  when  her  own  boy  jumped  down  from 
the  cabin  door  beside  her. 

"  Did  I  scare  you,  mother?  "  he  asked,  at  her  start. 

"  No ;  I  was  expecting  you,  and  you  always  come  in 
at  the  back.  You  '11  want  your  supper,  I  '11  be  bound. 
What  made  you  so  late,  and  all  out  of  breath,  so?  " 

"  I  been  running.  We  just  got  the  last  of  the  to 
bacco  in,  this  evening,  and  Mis'  Kingston  made  me 
stay  and  eat  with  Benny ;  she  said  she  Jd  excuse  me  to 
you.  I  just  left  the  other  boys  up  over  the  hill,  and 
run  through  the  woods  to  get  here  in  time  and  ask 
you." 

"  To  ask  me  what,  Joey  dear?  "  She  put  her  arms 
fondly  round  the  boy's  knees,  and  pulled  him  down  to 
her. 

114 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  The  boys  said  you  let  me  go  to  the  Temple  all  I 
want  to ;  but  I  told  them  the  Miracle  was  different,  and 
I  'd  have  to  ask  you  first.  I  told  Mis'  Kingston,  and 
I  told  the  boys.  Me  'n'  Benny  got  them  to  come  round. 
Kin  I,  mother?  Mis'  Kingston  thought  may  be  — 
may  be  —  you  might  come  yourself.  But  I  told  her 
I  did  n't  believe  you  would." 

"  No,  I  won't  go,  Joey.  What  makes  you  want  to 
go?" 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.  All  the  boys  are  goin'.  And 
I  never  seen  a  miracle  yet." 

"  Do  you  believe  he  can  do  a  miracle?  " 

"  Well,  it  would  be  some  fun  to  see  what  he  would 
do  if  he  did  n't.  I  'd  like  to  hear  what  he  'd  say." 

"  And  what  would  you  think  if  he  did  do  it?  That 
he  was  — God?" 

"Oh,  no,  mother!  He  couldn't  be.  Mr.  Dylks 
couldn't.  I  ain't  ever  thought  for  a  minute  that  he 
was  that." 

"And  if  he  failed  —  if  he  tried,  and  put  himself 
to  shame  before  everybody,  how  would  you  feel?  " 

"  Well,  mother,  nobody  as't  him  to."  Nancy  was 
silent  for  so  long  that  the  boy  said  discouragedly, 
"  But  if  you  don't  want  me  to  go  — " 

Her  face  hardened  from  the  pity  of  her  inward 
vision  of  the  man's  humiliation,  as  if  his  own  son  had 
judged  him  justly.  "  Yes,  you  can  go,  Joey.  But  be 
careful,  be  careful!  And  don't  stay  too  late.  And  if 
anything  happens  -*•" 

US 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Oh,  surely,  mother,  nothing  will  happen"  he  ex 
ulted,  and  he  broke  from  her  hold  and  ran  down  the 
road  where  the  group  of  boys  had  waited  for  him,  and 
as  he  ran  he  leaped  into  the  air,  and  called  to  them, 
"  She  's  let  me ;  she 's  let  me !  "  and  the  boys  leaped  up 
in  response,  and  called  back,  "  Hurrah,  hurrah !  "  and 
when  he  had  come  up  with  them,  they  all  tried  to  get 
their  arms  round  him,  and  trod  on  his  heels  and  toes  in 
pushing  one  another  from  him. 

In  the  August  twilight  which  now  began  to  pale  the 
hot  sunset  glow,  as  if  she  had  waited  to  come  alone, 
in  her  pride  or  in  her  shame,  the  woman  who  was  bear 
ing  the  body  of  the  miracle  to  the  place  where  the  won 
der  was  to  be  wrought  came  last  of  all  to  pass  Nancy 
where  she  sat  at  her  door.  She  was  that  strong  be 
liever  who  in  her  utter  trust,  when  she  heard  that  cloth 
would  be  needed  for  the  seamless  raiment  of  his  mira 
cle,  had  offered  to  provide  it ;  and  now,  neither  in  pride 
nor  in  shame,  but  in  defiance  of  her  unbelieving  hus 
band,  she  was  bearing  away  from  her  house  the  bolt  of 
linsey-woolsey  newly  home  from  the  weaver,  which 
was  to  have  been  cut  into  the  winter's  clothing  of  her 
children.  She  had  spun  the  threads  herself  and  dyed 
them,  and  they  had  become  as  if  they  were  of  her 
own  flesh  and  blood.  She  carried  the  bolt  wrapped 
about  with  her  shawl,  bearing  it  tenderly  in  her  arms, 
as  if  it  were  indeed  her  flesh  and  blood,  her  babe  which 
she  was  going  to  lay  upon  an  altar  of  sacrifice. 


116 


XII 

THE  crowd  at  Kingston's  mill  grew  with  the  ar 
rival  of  the  unbelievers  as  well  as  the  believers 
in  Dylks.  They  came  from  all  sides,  sometimes  singly 
and  sometimes  in  groups,  and  the  groups  came  dis 
puting  as  often  as  agreeing  among  themselves.  When 
a  group  was  altogether  believing  they  exchanged  de 
fiances  with  a  party  of  those  religious  outcasts,  the 
Hounds,  disturbers  of  camp-meetings  and  baptisms, 
and  notorious  mockers,  now,  of  the  Leatherwood  god 
in  his  services  at  the  Temple.  But  the  invitation  given 
to  see  the  promised  miracle  had  been  to  all;  the  Hounds 
had  felt  in  it  the  tenor  of  a  challenge,  and  they  had  ac 
cepted  it  defiantly.  They  jeered  at  the  believers  as 
these  arrived,  sometimes  hailing  them  by  name;  they 
neighed  and  whinnied,  and  shouted  "  Salvation !  "  and 
in  the  intervals  of  silence  they  burst  out  with  the  first 
lines  of  the  Believers'  hymn. 

There  were  those  who  mocked,  "  I  am  God  Al 
mighty,"  "  The  Father  and  the  Son  are  one,  and  I  am 
both  of  'em  put  together/'  and  "  Oh,  Dylks,  save  us !  " 
"  Don't  leave  us,  Dylks !  "  "  Make  the  Devil  jump, 
Joseph !  Make  him  rattle  his  scales  for  us !  "  "  Fetch 
on  your  miracle ! "  The  believing  women  turned 

117 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

away;  some  of  the  younger  tittered  hysterically  at  a 
droll  profanation  of  their  idol's  name,  and  then  one  of 
the  ruffians  applauded.  "  That 's  right,  sisters !  We 
like  to  have  you  enjoy  yourselves.  Promised  to  let 
anybody  in  particular  see  you  home  to-night?"  The 
girls  tried  to  control  themselves,  and  laughed  the  more, 
and  the  Hound  called,  "  Say,  girls,  let 's  have  a  dance  — 
a  dance  before  the  Lord." 

Jane  Gillespie  had  come  with  her  father  in  the  fam 
ily  pride  which  forbade  them  to  reject  each  other  pub 
licly.  The  girl  stood  a  little  apart  from  her  father, 
and  near  her  hung,  wistfully,  fearfully,  the  young 
farmer  whom  the  neighborhood  gossip  had  assigned 
her  for  an  acceptable  if  not  accepted  lover.  She  looked 
steadfastly  away  from  Hughey  Blake,  with  her  head 
lifted  and  her  cheeks  coldly  flushed  under  the  flame  of 
her  vivid  hair:  she  was  taller  than  the  other  girls,  and 
showed  above  the  young  man. 

"  Say,  Hughey,"  one  of  the  Hounds  spoke  across  the 
space  they  had  left  between  them  and  the  decent  unbe 
lievers,  "  Can't  you  gimme  a  light  ?  Reach  up !  "  He 
held  out  a  cigar,  in  the  joke  of  kindling  it  at  the  girl's 
hair. 

Hughey  Blake  turned,  and  his  helpless  retort,  "  You 
ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,"  redoubled  the  joy 
of  the  Hounds.  The  girl  glanced  quickly  at  him,  with 
what  meaning  he  could  not  have  made  out,  and  it  might 
have  been  fear  of  her  which  kept  him  hesitating 
whether  to  cross  over  and  fall  upon  his  tormentor.  He 

118 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

looked  at  her  as  if  for  a  sign,  but  she  made  as  if  she 
had  heard  nothing;  then  while  he  still  hesitated  a  slen 
der,  sinewy  young  fellow  came  down  the  open  ground, 
with  a  soft  jolt  in  his  gait  like  that  of  a  rangy  young 
horse.  He  wore  high  boots  with  his  trousers  pushed 
carelessly  into  their  tops,  and  for  a  sign  of  week-day 
indifference  to  the  occasion,  a  checked  shirt,  of  the 
sort  called  hickory;  he  struck  up  the  brim  of  his  platted 
straw  hat  in  front  with  one  hand,  and  with  the  other 
on  his  hip  stood  a  figure  of  backwoods  bravery,  such 
as  has  descended  to  the  romance  of  later  times  from  the 
reality  of  the  Indian-fighting  pioneers. 

"  You  fellows  keep  still!  "  he  called  out.  "  If  you 
don't  I  '11  make  you." 

Retorts  of  varied  sense  and  nonsense  came  from  the 
Hounds,  but  without  malice  in  their  note.  One  voice 
answered,  "  I  'd  like  to  see  you  try,  Jim  Redfield !  " 

The  other  jolted  closer  toward  the  line  of  the 
Hounds,  and  leaned  over.  "Did  I  hear  somebody 
speak  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  reckon  not,  Jim,"  the  voice  of  his  challenger  re 
turned.  "  Come  to  join  the  band?  " 

"  I  did  n't  come  to  worry  helpless  women,"  Redfield 
said. 

"That's  right,  Jim.  There's  where  we're  with 
you.  D'  you  reckon  Apostle  Kingston  '11  let  us  in  to 
see  the  miracle  if  we  '11  keep  the  believers  straight  while 
the  Almighty  is  at  it  ?  " 

"  I  can't  say  for  Mr.  Kingston,"  Redfield  returned. 
119 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  But  if  I  was  in  his  place  I  'd  want  to  keep  my  jug  out 
of  sight  when  you  fellows  were  on  duty." 

Redfield  passed  the  Gillespies  as  he  lounged  back  to 
his  place  with  a  covert  glance  at  the  girl,  who  made  no 
sign  of  seeing  her  champion. 

The  woman  who  was  bringing  the  body  of  the  mira 
cle  came  round  the  corner  of  the  mill,  and  showed  her 
self  in  the  open  space  with  the  bolt  of  cloth  borne  care 
fully  in  her  arms. 

"  Why,  it 's  a  baby !  "  came  from  that  merriest  of  the 
Hounds  whom  Redfield  had  turned  from  an  enemy  into 
a  troublesome  friend  of  the  believers.  "  Reckon  the 
women  '11  have  something  to  say  to  that  if  he  tries  to 
turn  e'er  a  baby  into  seamless  raiment." 

The  fellow  got  the  laugh  he  had  tried  for,  and  when 
Redfield  looked  toward  him  again  he  said,  "  All  right, 
Jim.  I  'm  keepin'  'em  quiet  the  best  I  can.  But  the 
elect  will  make  a  noise,  sometimes." 

The  woman  with  her  bundle  passed  through  the  open 
door  of  the  house  behind  the  mill.  The  public  entrance 
was  at  the  front  where  by  day  the  bags  of  grain  were 
lifted  by  rope  and  tackle  to  the  upper  story,  and  the 
farmers  who  brought  them  climbed  up  by  the  inner 
stairways.  The  believers  had  expected  that  they  were 
to  come  in  by  way  of  the  dwelling,  but  now  the  burly 
figure  of  the  miller,  with  the  light  of  a  candle  behind  it, 
showed  black  in  the  doorway,  and  he  spoke  up,  in  his 
friendly  voice :  "  Neighbors,  we  want  you  all  to  go 
round  to  the  front  of  the  mill  and  come  in  there.  The 

120 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

miracle  is  going  to  be  done  on  the  bolting-cloth  floor, 
where  there  will  be  room  for  all  that  wants  to  see. 
We  don't  mean  to  keep  anybody  out,  whether  they  be 
lieve  or  don't  believe.  The  only  thing  we  want  is  for 
you  all  to  be  quiet,  and  not  make  trouble.  And  now, 
come  in  as  quick  as  you  can,  so  you  can  be  sure  we 
have  n't  had  time  to  do  anything  to  the  cloth  that  the 
seamless  raiment  is  going  to  be  made  out  of." 

"  Hounds  and  everybody  ?  "  called  that  gayest  voice 
among  the  outcasts. 

"  Hounds  and  everybody/*  the  miller  humorously  as 
sented,  and  his  black  bulk  melted  into  the  dark  as  the 
candle  disappeared  within. 

The  dim  light  from  tin  lanterns  threw  the  pattern 
of  their  perforations  on  the  walls  and  roofs  of  the  in 
terior,  and  showed  the  tracery  of  the  floury  cobwebs. 
The  people  could  scarcely  see  their  way  to  the  stairs 
by  the  glimmer,  and  there  was  more  talking  with  nerv 
ous  laughter  than  there  had  been  outside.  One  of  the 
Hounds  called  out,  "  I  don't  want  any  of  you  girls  to 
kiss  me!"  and  gave  the  relief  of  indignation  to  the 
hysterical  emotion  of  the  believers;  the  more  serious 
of  the  unbelievers  found  escape  in  their  helpless  laugh 
ter  from  their  tense  expectation  of  triumph  in  the  fail 
ure  of  the  promised  miracle. 

The  wide  space  on  the  bolting-cloth  floor,  before  the 
bins  mounded  high  with  new  wheat,  and  the  rows  of 
millstones,  motionless  under  their  empty  hoppers,  was 
lighted  by  candles  in  tin  sconces,  but  these  were  so  few 

121 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

that  they  shone  only  on  the  foremost  faces  and  left 
those  behind  a  gleam  of  eyes  or  teeth.  The  familiar 
machinery  had  put  on  a  grewsome  strangeness  which 
had  its  final  touch  from  the  roll  lying  on  the  table  like 
something  dead.  A  table  had  been  set  in  front  of  the 
barrels  under  the  bolting  cloths,  and  the  muslin  funnels, 
empty  of  flour,  hung  down  into  the  barrels  with  the 
effect  of  colossal  legs  standing  in  them.  The  air  of 
the  hot  night  was  close  within ;  a  damp  odor  from  the 
water  flowing  under  the  motionless  mill  wheels  seemed 
to  cool  it,  but  did  not;  the  perspiration  shone  on  the 
faces  where  the  light  fell  on  them. 

The  miller  and  his  family  had  places  in  the  front  line 
of  the  spectators,  and  with  them  was  the  woman  who 
had  given  the  cloth  for  the  miracle;  and  who  stood 
staring  at  the  stuff,  which  she  had  known  so  intimately 
in  every  thread  and  fiber,  with  an  air  of  estrangement. 

When  the  stumbling  feet  of  the  last  arrivals  ceased 
on  the  stairs,  the  miller  stood  out  facing  the  crowd,  and 
told  them  that  he  expected  the  Good  Old  Man,  now, 
any  minute,  together  with  the  Apostle  Paul,  whom  they 
all  knew  by  his  earthly  name  as  their  neighbor,  Mr. 
Enraghty.  He  asked  them  to  be  as  still  as  they  could, 
and  especially  after  the  Good  Old  Man  came,  to  be  per 
fectly  silent;  not  to  whisper,  and  not  to  move  if  they 
could  help  it.  There  was  nothing,  though,  he  said,  to 
hinder  the  believers  from  joining  in  their  favorite 
hymn;  and  at  once  the  wailing  of  it  began  to  fill  the 
place.  When  it  ended,  the  deep-drawn  breath  of  some 

,122 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

wearied  expectant  made  itself  heard  with  the  shifting 
of  tired  feet  easing  themselves.  The  minutes  grew 
into  an  hour,  with  no  sign  of  Dylks  or  Enraghty,  and 
the  miller  was  again  forced  to  ask  the  patience  of  his 
neighbors.  But  there  began  to  be  murmurs  from  the 
unbelievers,  and  more  articulate  protests  from  the 
Hounds.  Some  children,  whom  the  believers  had 
brought  with  them  to  see  the  divine  power  manifest 
itself,  whimpered,  and  were  suffered  to  lie  down  at  the 
feet  of  their  fathers  and  mothers  and  forget  their  dis 
appointment  in  sleep.  A  babe,  too  young  to  be  left  at 
home,  woke  and  cried,  and  was  suckled  to  rest  again, 
with  ironical  applause  from  the  Hounds. 

At  the  end  of  two  hours  of  waiting,  relieved  with 
pleas  and  promises  from  the  miller,  there  was  no  word 
from  Dylks  and  no  token  of  his  bodily  presence.  With 
the  scoffing  of  the  unbelievers,  the  prayers  of  the  faith 
ful  rose.  "  Come  soon,  oh  Lord !  "  "  Send  thy 
Power!"  "Remember  thy  Little  Flock!"  Upon 
these  at  last  broke  falteringly,  stragglingly,  a  familiar 
voice,  the  voice  of  Abel  Reverdy,  kindly  and  uncouth 
as  himself,  and  expressive,  like  his  presence,  of  an  im 
partial  interest  in  the  feelings  of  both  the  faithful  and 
the  unfaithful.  He  was  there  in  the  company  of  his 
wife,  who  held  a  steadfast  place  among  the  believers, 
while  Abel  ranged  freely  from  one  party  to  the  other, 
and  could  not  well  have  known  himself  of  either, 
though  friendly  with  both.  He  was  of  a  sort  of  dis 
approving  friendship  even  with  the  Hounds,  and  now 

123 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

his  voice  said  in  impartial  suggestion,  "  Why  not  some 
body  go  and  fetch  him  ?  " 

"  Good  for  you,  Abel !  "  came  from  the  Hound  who 
was  oftenest  spokesman  for  the  others.  "  Why  don't 
you  go  yourself,  Abel?  " 

Other  voices  applauded,  and  Abel  was  beginning  to 
share  a  general  confidence  in  his  fitness  for  the  mission, 
when  his  wife  spoke  up,  "  'Deed  and  'deed,  I  can  tell 
you  he  ain't  agoun'  to  do  no  such  a  thing,  not  if  we  stay 
here  all  night,  murricle  or  no  murricle.  I  ain't  agoun' 
to  have  him  put  his  head  into  the  Lion  of  Judah's 
mouth,  and  have  it  bit  off,  like  as  not.  I  can't  tell  from 
one  minute  to  another  whether  he  's  a  believer  or  not, 
and  if  anybody  is  to  go  for  the  Good  Old  Man  it 's  got 
to  be  a  studdy  believer,  and  not  a  turncoat  of  many 
colors  like  Abel." 

If  Sally  had  satisfied  her  need  of  chastizing  her  hus 
band  for  his  variableness,  and  found  a  comfort  in  her 
scriptural  language,  not  qualified  by  its  wandering  ap 
plication,  Abel  loyally  accepted  her  open  criticism. 
"  That 's  so,  Sally,  I  ain't  the  one  to  send.  I  mis 
doubted  it  myself,  or  I  'd  'a'  gone  without  say  in'  nothin' 
in  the  first  place.  But,  as  Sally  says,"  he  addressed  the 
crowd,  "  it  ought  to  be  a  believer." 

"  Then  why  not  Sally  ?  "  a  scorner  suggested.  She 
did  not  refuse,  and  there  was  a  whispering  between  her 
and  those  next  her  in  debate  of  the  question.  But  it 
was  closed  by  the  loud,  austere  voice  of  one  of  the  be 
lieving  matrons  in  the  apostolic  mandate,  "  Let  your 

124 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

women  keep  silence  in  the  churches."  The  text  was 
not  closely  apt ;  it  was  not  a  precept  obeyed  in  the  re 
vivals  of  any  of  the  sects  in  Leatherwood;  it  was  espe 
cially  ignored  in  the  meetings  of  the  Dylks  believers; 
but  its  proclamation  now  satisfied  the  yearning  always 
rife  in  them  to  affiliate  their  dispensation  with  the 
scriptural  tradition. 

"Well,  that  settles  it,  Sister  Coombs,"  Sally 
promptly  assented,  "  I  was  n't  agoun'  to,  anyway,  and  I 
ain't  agoun'  to  now,  if  I  stay  here  all  night,  or  the  Good 
Old  Man  don't  ever  come." 

"  Why  not  Jim  Redfield  ?  "  a  Hound  demanded,  and 
the  miller  tried  to  be  stern  in  calling  out,  "  No  trifling !  " 
but  lost  effect  by  gently  adding,  "  Friends."  The  un 
believers  laughed,  but  the  miller's  retreat  from  the  bold 
stand  he  had  taken  was  covered  by  Redfield's  threat  that 
if  those  fellows  kept  on  he  would  give  them  something 
to  laugh  about. 

As  he  stepped  into  the  neutral  space  between  the 
friends  and  enemies  of  Dylks,  he  had  a  sort  of  double 
fearfulness  for  the  women,  because  he  was  not  only  not 
of  their  faith,  but  because  he  was  of  no  religious  sect  in 
a  community  where  every  one  but  an  open  infidel  like 
Matthew  Braile  was  of  some  profession.  He  came  to 
the  Baptist  services  with  his  mother,  but  he  had  not 
been  baptized,  and  he  was  not  seen  at  the  house  to  house 
prayer  meetings,  where  the  young  people  came  with  the 
old,  or  at  the  frolics  where  dancing  was  forbidden,  but 
not  kissing  in  their  games  or  in  their  walks  home 

125 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

through  the  woods.  He  was  not  supposed  to  be  in  love 
with  any  one,  and  he  lived  alone  on  a  rich  bottom-land 
farm  with  his  mother,  in  a  house  which  his  father  had 
built  where  his  grandfather's  log  cabin  had  stood.  He 
was  of  a  tradition  which  held  him  closer  to  the  wilder 
ness  than  most  of  the  people  of  Leatherwood;  in  the 
two  generations  before  him  the  Redfields  had  won  and 
held  their  lands  against  the  Indians,  and  had  fought 
them  in  the  duels,  from  tree  to  tree,  which  the  pioneers 
taught  the  savages,  or  learned  from  them,  risking  their 
lives  and  scalps  in  the  same  chances.  He  was  of  the 
sort  of  standing  which  old  family  gives,  even  where  all 
families  are  new,  and  he  was  now  making  his  way 
politically,  in  spite  of  his  irreligion ;  he  meant  to  go  to 
the  legislature,  eventually,  and  in  a  leisurely  sort  he  was 
reading  law,  and  reciting  his  Blackstone  to  Matthew 
Braile.  As  he  came  and  went  from  the  old  infidel's 
house,  he  was  apt  to  stop  at  the  tavern  porch,  where  the 
few  citizens  who  could  detach  their  minds  from  the 
things  of  another  world  gave  them  in  cloudy  conjecture 
to  the  political  affairs  of  this,  or  to  scrutiny  of  the  real 
motives  actuating  the  occasional  travelers  who  appar 
ently  arrived  for  a  meal's  victuals  or  a  night's  lodging. 
With  these  Redfield  had  scarcely  a  social  life,  but  he 
could  talk  with  them  almost  to  the  point  of  haranguing 
them,  for  they  were  men;  at  the  store,  where  his 
mother's  errands  sometimes  took  him,  he  shrank  from 
the  women  as  timid  as  they  when  they  dismounted 
from  their  saddles  or  wagons,  and  slipped  in  with  their 

126 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

butter  and  eggs,  and  passed  out  again  deeply  obscured 
in  their  sunbonnets. 

They  were  mostly  women  past  the  time  of  life  when 
men  look  at  them  curiously,  but  once  Redfield  was 
startled  by  meeting  a  young  girl,  as  he  was  trying  to 
go  out,  and  began  losing  himself  with  her  in  that  hope 
less  encounter  of  people  who  try  to  give  way  to  each 
other  and  keep  passing  to  the  same  side  at  once.  Her 
face  and  her  red  hair  burned  one  fire,  but  at  last  she 
stopped  stone  still,  and  let  him  go  by,  with  a  sort  of 
angry  challenge  in  her  blue  eyes.  He  knew  that  it  was 
Jane  Gillespie  without  knowing  her  to  speak  with,  as  he 
would  have  said,  and  he  knew  that  against  her  father's 
will  she  was  one  of  the  followers  of  Dylks.  The  idola 
try  was  not  yet  open  and  scandalous,  but  since  then  he 
had  heard  his  mother  denouncing  her  as  a  worthless 
hussy  with  the  other  women  who  had  worshiped  Dylks 
in  that  frenzy  at  the  Temple.  He  walked  up  and  down, 
passing  near  where  she  stood  with  her  father  and 
Hughey  Blake,  and  lost  his  breath  at  each  approach  and 
caught  it  again  at  each  remove.  It  so  vividly  seemed 
that  he  must  speak  to  her,  though  he  did  not  know  what 
he  wished  to  say,  that  it  was  as  if  he  really  had  done  so, 
when  he  heard  one  of  the  Hounds  saying,  "  .Well,  and 
what  are  you  goin'  to  do  about  it,  Jim  ?  " 

Then  he  heard  himself  boasting,  "  I  'm  going  after 
Dylks  myself;  and  if  he  '11  come  peaceably,  and  do  his 
miracle  I  '11  take  him  for  my  god,  and  if  he  won't,  God 
have  mercy  on  him ! " 

127 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

He  was  answering  his  jeering  questioner  in  his 
words,  but  his  eyes  were  on  the  girl ;  her  own  eyes  were 
lowered  after  a  glance  at  her  father  and  Hughey  Blake, 
and  his  vow  remained  in  his  ears  a  foolish  vaunt. 
While  he  stood  unable  to  return  to  his  place,  a 
voice  which  no  one  knew,  came  from  the  darkness  out 
side. 

"  Behold/'  it  said,  "  I  am  the  Presence  of  the  Most 
High,  and  I  come  to  you  with  my  Peace.  The  miracle 
that  ye  wait  to  see  has  been  wrought  already  unseen  of 
you.  The  cloth  before  you  has  been  touched  by  my 
Power,  and  turned  into  the  seamless  raiment  which  ye 
seek  as  a  sign.  But  it  shall  not  be  shown  to  you  now. 
Ye  shall  see  it  seven  days  and  seven  nights  hence  on  the 
eighth  night  at  the  Temple.  Till  then,  have  patience, 
have  faith.  Thus  saith  the  Lord." 

The  voice  died  from  the  medley  of  scriptural  phrase 
and  a  shiver  of  awe  passed  over  those  who  had  heard. 
One  of  the  believing  women  called  out,  "  Praise  ye  the 
Lord!"  Then  a  yell  of  mockery  broke  from  the 
Hounds  and  some  one  shouted,  "  Let 's  have  a  look !  " 
and  the  crowd  rushed  upon  the  roll  of  cloth  which  lay 
on  the  table,  where  the  woman  who  had  brought  it  in 
her  arms  had  put  it,  and  had  stood  patiently,  anxiously, 
trustfully  waiting. 

She  spread  her  arms  out  over  it,  with  a  piteous  ges 
ture,  like  a  mother  trying  to  keep  her  child  from  harm. 
"Oh,  don't!  Oh,  don't!"  she  implored.  "It's  my 
cloth!  I  spun  it,  I  wove  it,  every  thread!  It's  all 

128 


"It's    my    cloth !      I    spun    it,    I    wove    it,    every   thread ! 
we've  got  for  our  clothes  this  winter !" 


all 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

we  've  got  for  our  clothes  this  winter !  Don't  touch  it, 
don't  tear  it !  " 

Her  prayer  was  like  a  signal  for  its  denial.  One  of 
the  Hounds  pushed  her  away  and  caught  the  cloth  up. 
"  We  won't  hurt  it,  Sister  Bladen.  We  just  want  to 
see  .what  a  seamless  garment  looks  like,  anyway. 
Maybe  it  '11  fit  some  of  us.  Here,  boys,  take  a  hold !  " 

He  held  by  the  outer  edge  of  the  cloth,  and  flung  the 
bolt  unfurling  itself  toward  his  fellows  over  the  heads 
of  the  believing  men  who  had  crowded  forward  to  save 
it  from  the  desecration,  while  the  woman  tried  to  seize 
it  from  him,  beseeching,  imploring,  "  Oh,  don't  hurt  it, 
Bill  Murray!  Oh,  be  careful!  Don't  let  it  drop! 
Oh,  don't,  don't,  don't !  " 

"  We  can't  do  it  any  hurt,  Sister  Bladen,  if  it 's  got  a 
miracle  inside  of  it,"  one  of  the  ruffians  mocked. 
"  You  tell  her  we  wont  hurt  it,  Jim  Redfield !  She  '11 
trust  you!" 

The  women  believers  were  sobbing;  the  men  gath 
ered  themselves  for  a  struggle  with  the  surprise  sprung 
upon  them,  but  held  back  as  if  in  a  superstitious  hope  of 
help  from  the  god  whom  the  women  seemed  not  to  trust 
in  his  failure  of  them. 

"  Here,  you  fellows !  "  Redfield  shouted  over  the  toss 
ing  heads  before  him.  "  What  do  you  want  to  spoil 
her  cloth  for?" 

His  look  and  voice  had  their  effect  with  the  angry, 
pushing,  shuffling,  elbowing,  wailing,  weeping  crowd, 
in  a  pause  like  the  arrest  of  curiosity. 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Let  go  that  cloth,  Bill,"  he  said,  not  with  authority, 
but  in  a  tone  of  good  fellowship. 

The  miller  interposed  with  his  friendly  voice,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  the  unbelievers  would  give  way  in  pity  of 
the  poor  woman  who  had  brought  the  cloth.  Suddenly 
the  bolt  of  stuff  which  Murray  had  conditionally 
yielded  was  twitched  from  Redfield  in  boisterous  fun, 
and  then  in  the  frenzy  more  of  mischief  than  malice 
it  was  seized  by  the  Hounds,  and  torn  into  shreds. 
"  Find  the  seamless  raiment ! "  they  yelled  to  one 
another.  The  unbelievers  stood  aside;  the  believers 
did  nothing,  in  a  palsy  of  amaze;  the  poor  woman,  to 
whom  her  toil  and  pride  in  it  had  hallowed  the 
stuff,  sank  down  staying  herself  on  her  hands  from 
the  floor,  in  hapless  despair.  Her  moaning  and  sob 
bing  filled  the  place  after  the  tumult  of  destruction  had 
been  stricken  silent.  "  Oh,  I  don't  care  for  the  mir 
acle,"  she  kept  lamenting,  "  but  what  are  my  children 
going  to  wear  this  winter?  Oh,  what  will  he  say  to 
me !  "  It  was  her  husband  she  meant. 


132 


XIII 

THE  riot  in  Kingston's  Mill,  after  the  failure  of 
Dylks  to  appear  personally  and  work  the  prom 
ised  miracle,  left  the  question  of  his  divinity  where  it 
had  been.  With  no  evident  change  in  their  numbers 
on  either  side,  the  believers  assented,  the  unbelievers  de 
nied.  The  faithful  held  that  the  miracle  had  been 
wrought  and  the  seamless  raiment  torn  to  pieces  by  the 
mob;  some  declared  that  they  had  seen  the  garments, 
and  tried  to  keep  them  from  the  sacrilege  but  had  been 
overpowered.  The  unfaithful  laughed  at  the  pretense, 
and  defied  the  faithful  to  show  any  scrap  of  the  cloth 
having  the  form  of  clothing.  The  pieces  remained  with 
the  poor  woman  who  had  brought  the  cloth  for  the 
miracle ;  she  carried  them  weeping  home,  and  she  and 
her  husband  remained  like  the  rest,  believing  and  unbe 
lieving  as  before;  but  at  every  chance  she  scanned  the 
dishonored  fragments  in  secret,  and  pieced  them  to 
gether,  trying  to  follow  the  lines  of  imaginary  garments 
in  them. 

Throughout  the  week  the  excitement  raged,  silently 
for  the  most  part,  in  the  breasts  of  the  two  parties,  but 
sometimes  breaking  out  in  furious  affirmation  and  de 
nial  at  such  points  of  common  meeting  as  the  store,  the 
tavern,  and  the  postoffice.  There  the  unbelievers  out- 
£r-  -133 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

numbered  the  believers,  who  met  for  mutual  support 
and  comfort  at  one  another's  houses,  but  appeared  no 
where  in  force  until  the  Sunday  night  following ;  then 
they  came  three  to  one  of  the  enemy,  and  filled  the 
Temple  to  overflowing.  Dylks  was  expected  to  meet 
them  from  the  concealment  or  the  absence  in  which  he 
had  passed  the  days;  the  unbelievers  said  that  he  was 
hiding  in  fear  and  shame;  the  believers  that  he  was 
preaching  to  the  heathen  in  other  neighborhoods,  and 
would  come  in  power  and  glory  with  a  great  multitude 
of  the  converted  following  him.  But  the  meeting  in 
the  Temple  was  opened  by  Enraghty,  who,  in  front  of 
the  pulpit,  rose  saying,  "  The  Good  Old  Man  will  not 
be  here,  to-night,  but  I  will  fill  his  place."  A  thrill 
of  exultation  and  disappointment  ran  through  the  con 
gregation  according  as  they  believed  or  denied,  but 
they  all  waited  patiently. 

Among  the  many  families  which  had  come  in  inter 
necine  enmity,  Gillespie  and  his  daughter  strained  in 
the  unlove  which  was  like  hate  up  to  the  door  of  the 
Temple.  He  had  taunted  her  with  Dylks's  failure  to 
work  the  miracle  and  with  his  absence  during  the  week. 
"  If  I  could  get  my  hands  on  him,  I  would  pull  him  out 
of  his  hole,  and  make  him  face  the  people  he  's  deceived. 
I  would  show  him  whether  he  was  God  or  not." 

"If  you  touched  him,  your  hands  would  be  with 
ered,"  she  said  in  an  ecstasy  of  faith.  "  If  you  will 
bring  me  a  single  hair  of  his  head  I  will  deny  him." 

"  I  '11  remember  that,"  he  threatened  bitterly,  and  in 
134 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

the  loss  of  all  the  dignity  of  their  relation  as  parent  and 
child  he  cast  a  look  of  contemptuous  triumph  on  her 
when  Enraghty  rose  and  said  that  he  would  take  the 
place  of  Dylks  for  the  night. 

"  Bring  me  one  hair  of  his  head,"  she  said  again. 

The  people  of  both  sides  had  supposed  that  Dylks 
was  sitting  behind  the  pulpit,  as  his  habit  was,  with  his 
head  out  of  sight  bowed  in  meditation.  But  when  En 
raghty,  after  a  few  words,  sat  down  to  await  the  com 
ing  of  the  Spirit,  suddenly  the  minister  whose  turn  to 
preach  would  have  come  that  night,  sprang  to  his  full 
height  in  the  pulpit  and  denounced  Enraghty 's  pretense. 
The  believers  rose  shouting  to  their  feet,  and  crying, 
"  He  is  my  God! "  stormed  out  of  the  Temple  in  the 
night,  where  their  voices  were  heard  repeating,  "  He  is 
my  God !  "  till  they  swelled  together  in  the  hymn  which 
was  their  confession  of  Dylks.  A  few  of  the  unbe 
lievers  remained  in  the  Temple,  amazed,  but  the  greater 
part  followed  the  believers  into  the  night. 

They  had  the  courage  of  their  triumph  through 
Dylks's  failure  to  work  the  miracle  he  had  promised, 
and  then  his  failure  to  show  himself  in  the  Temple ;  but 
they  pushed  on  with  no  definite  purpose  except  perhaps 
to  break  up  some  meeting  of  his  followers,  when  one  of 
the  Hounds,  yelping  and  baying  in  acceptance  of  their 
nickname,  broke  upon  them  from,  the  woods  they  were 
passing  with  word  that  they  had  found  Dylks  in  En- 
raghty's  house,  where  the  believers  were  already  gath 
ering. 

135 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  We  've  treed  him,"  he  said.  "  The  whole  pack  's 
round  the  place,  and  there  's  no  limb  in  reach  for  him 
to  jump  to.  I  reckon  it  '11  be  the  best  coon  hunt  we  've 
ever  had  in  Leatherwood,  yit." 

Redfield  put  himself  in  touch  rather  than  in  sight 
amidst  the  darkness  which  the  disembodied  voices 
broke  upon.  "  Enraghty's  house  ?  Then  we  've  got 
him.  Come  on !  " 

The  women  of  the  unbelievers  had  fallen  behind 
and  finally  gone  home,  but  all  the  believers,  the  women 
as  well  as  the  men,  had  followed  their  apostle,  and 
now  their  voices,  in  praying  and  singing,  came  from 
the  house  still  hidden  by  a  strip  of  woodland.  In  the 
bewilderment  which  had  fallen  upon  David  Gillespie 
amid  the  tumultuous  rush  from  the  Temple,  he  had 
been  parted  from  his  daughter;  now  he  fumbled  for 
ward  on  the  feet  of  an  old  man,  and  found  himself 
beside  Redfield.  "  I  want  you  to  let  me  at  him  first, 
Jim.  I  just  want  one  hair  of  his  head." 

"  Why,  don't  you  know  it 's  death  to  touch  him  ?  " 
Redfield  jeered. 

"  I  know  that,"  Gillespie  assented  in  the  same  mood. 
"  But  I  '11  risk  dying  for  that  one  hair." 

"  What  do  you  want  with  one  hair  ?  I  '11  get  you  a 
handful,"  Redfield  said. 

"  One  '11  do  to  work  the  miracle  I  'm  after." 

"  What  miracle  ?  None  o'  your  seamless  raiment, 
is  it?" 

136 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  It 's  bringing  a  crazy  girl  to  her  senses.  She  's 
said  if  I  fetched  her  a  single  hair  of  his  she  'd  renounce 
him." 

"  Oh !  "  Redfield  said  with  respectful  understand 
ing.  Then  he  added,  "  I  '11  get  you  the  hair." 

The  unbelievers  crowded  to  the  house  in  the  light 
from  the  uncurtained  windows.  One  of  them  stood 
tiptoe  peering  in  while  the  others  waited.  "  It 's  chuck 
full,"  he  reported.  "  No  room  for  sinners,  I  reckon." 

"  Oh,  if  Dylks  is  in  there  he  '11  work  one  of  his  mira 
cles  and  make  room,"  another  of  the  Hounds  answered. 
Redfield  stood  trying  the  door.  "  Locked  ?  Hammer 
on  it !  Break  it  in !  Here !  Give  him  a  shoulder !  " 

The  mob  surged  forward,  laughing  and  shouting, 
and  crushed  Redfield  against  the  door.  The  panel 
cracked  and  groaned;  Redfield  called  to  the  crowd  to 
hold  back,  but  suddenly  the  door  opened,  and  the  fan 
atical  face  of  Enraghty  showed  itself  above  Redfield' s 
back. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  he  demanded.  "  This  is  the 
Lord's  house." 

"  Then  it 's  as  much  ourn  as  what  it  is  yourn,"  some, 
one  shouted  back. 

"  We  want  to  see  the  Lord,"  another  called.  "  Just 
one  look,  just  one  lick." 

The  old  schoolmaster  lost  his  self-control.  "  There 
are  some  of  you  out  there  that  I  've  licked  before  now 
for  your  mischief." 

137 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Yes,  we  know  that,"  came  back.  "  You  did  n't 
lick  us  enough.  We  'd  like  to  have  you  give  us  some 
more." 

The  hindmost  of  the  Hounds  surged  against  those  in 
front,  and  the  whole  mob  fell  forward  upon  Redfield ; 
he  staggered  over  the  threshold  to  save  himself,  and 
struck  Enraghty  backward  in  his  helpless  plunge. 

"  Oh,  look  out  there,"  the  nearest  of  the  mob  called 
back.  "  Your  're  hurtin'  Mr.  Enraghty !  " 

"  Well,  we  don't  want  to  hurt  old  Saint  Paul ! "  a 
mocker  returned;  but  they  pressed  on  wilfully,  help 
lessly  ;  they  pushed  those  in  front,  who  might  have  held 
back,  and  filled  the  entry-way  and  the  rooms  beyond. 
In  a  circle  of  his  worshipers,  kneeling  at  his  feet,  stood 
Dylks,  while  they  hailed  him  as  their  God  and  entreated 
his  mercy.  At  the  scramble  behind  them,  they  sprang 
up  and  stood  dazed,  confronting  their  enemies. 

"We  want  Dylks!  We  want  the  Good  Old  Man! 
We  want  the  Lion  of  Judah !  Out  of  the  way,  Little 
Flock !  "  came  in  many  voices ;  but  when  the  worshipers 
yielded,  Dylks  had  vanished. 

A  moment  of  awe  spread  to  their  adversaries,  but  in 
another  moment  the  riot  began  again.  The  unbe 
lievers  caught  the  spirit  of  the  worse  among  them  and 
stormed  through  the  house,  searching  it  everywhere, 
from  the  cellar  to  the  garret.  A  yell  rose  from  them 
when  they  found  Dylks  half  way  up  the  chimney  of 
the  kitchen.  His  captors  pulled  him  forward  into  the 
light,  and  held  him  cowering  under  the.  cries  of  "  Kill 

138 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

him !  "  "  Tie  him  to  a  tree  and  whip  him !  "  "  Tar 
and  feather  him !  "  "  Ride  him  on  a  rail !  " 

"No,  don't  hurt  him!"  Redfield  commanded. 
"  Take  him  to  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  try  him." 

"  Yes/'  the  leader  of  the  Hounds  assented.  "  Take 
him  to  Squire  Braile.  He  '11  settle  with  him." 

The  Little  Flock  rallied  to  the  rescue,  and  some  of 
the  herd  joined  them.  As  an  independent  neutral, 
Abel  Reverdy,  whom  his  wife  stirred  to  action,  caught 
up  a  stool  and  joined  the  defenders. 

"  Why,  you  fool,"  a  leader  of  the  Hounds  derided 
him  amiably,  t(  what  you  want  to  do  with  that  stool  ? 
If  the  Almighty  can't  help  himself,  you  think  you  're 
goin'  to  help  him  ?  " 

Abel  was  daunted  by  the  reasoning,  and  even  Sally 
stayed  her  war  cries. 

"  Well,  I  guess  there  's  sumpin'  in  that,"  Abel  as 
sented,  and  he  lowered  his  weapon. 

The  incident  distracted  his  captors  and  Dylks  broke 
from  them,  and  ran  into  the  yard  before  the  house. 
He  was  covered  with  soot  and  dust  and  his  clothes 
were  torn ;  his  coat  was  stripped  in  tatters,  and  his  long 
hair  hung  loose  over  it. 

His  prophecies  of  doom  to  those  who  should  lay 
hands  upon  him  had  been  falsified,  but  to  the  literal 
sense  of  David  Gillespie  he  had  not  yet  been  sufficiently 
proved  an  impostor :  till  he  should  bring  his  daughter  a 
strand  of  the  hair  which  Dylks  had  proclaimed  it  death 
to  touch,  she  would  believe  in  him,  and  David  followed 

139 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

in  the  crowd  straining  forward  to  reach  Redfield,  who 
with  one  of  his  friends  had  Dylks  under  his  protec 
tion.  The  old  man  threw  himself  upon  Dylks  and 
caught  a  thick  strand  of  his  hair,  dragging  him  back 
ward  by  it.  Redfield  looked  round.  He  said,  "  You 
want  that,  do  you?  Well,  I  promised."  He  tore  it 
from  the  scalp,  and  gave  it  into  David's  hand,  and 
David  walked  back  with  it  into  the  house  where  his 
daughter  remained  with  the  wailing  and  sobbing 
women-worshipers  of  the  desecrated  idol. 

He  flung  the  lock  at  her  feet.  "  There  's  the  hair 
that  it  was  death  to  touch."  She  did  not  speak;  she 
only  looked  at  it  with  horror. 

"  Don't  you  believe  it 's  his  ?  "  her  father  roared. 

"  Yes,  yes !  I  know  it 's  his ;  and  now  let 's  go  home 
and  pray  for  him,  and  for  you,  father.  We  've  both 
got  the  same  God,  now." 

A  bitter  retort  came  to  the  old  man's  lips,  but  the  ab 
horrent  look  of  his  daughter  stayed  his  words,  and  they 
went  into  the  night  together,  while  the  noise  of  the  mob 
stormed  back  to  them  through  the  darkness,  farther 
and  farther  away. 


140 


XIV 

THE  captors  of  Dylks  chose  the  Temple  as  the  best 
place  for  keeping  him  till  morning,  when  they 
could  take  him  for  trial  to  Matthew  Braile;  but  they 
had  probably  no  sense  of  the  place  where  he  had  in 
solently  triumphed  so  often  as  the  fittest  scene  of  his 
humiliation.  They  stumbled  in  a  loose  mob  behind 
and  before  and  beside  him  through  the  dim  night,  and 
tried  to  pass  Redfield's  guard  to  strike  him  with  their 
hands  or  the  sticks  which  they  tore  from  the  wayside 
bushes.  At  a  little  distance,  a  straggling  troop  of  the 
believers  followed,  men  and  women,  wailing  and  sob 
bing,  and  adoring  and  comforting  their  idol  with  prom 
ises  of  fealty,  in  terms  of  pathetic  grotesqueness.  A 
well-known  voice  called  to  him,  "  Don't  you  be  afraid, 
God  Almighty !  They  can't  hurt  a  hair  of  your  head," 
and  the  burst  of  savage  mirth  which  followed  Sally 
Reverdy's  words,  drowned  the  retort  of  a  scoffer, 
"  Why,  there  ain't  hardly  any  left  to  hurt,  Sally." 

The  noise  of  the  talking  and  laughing  and  the  form 
less  progress  of  the  mob  hushed  the  nearer  night  voices 
of  the  fields  and  woods;  but  from  a  distance  the  shud 
dering  cry  of  a  screech-owl  could  be  heard;  and  the 
melancholy  call  of  a  killdee  in  a  pasture  beside  the 

141 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

creek.  The  people,  friends  and  foes  together,  made 
their  way  unlighted  except  by  the  tin  lantern  which 
some  one  had  caught  from  where  it  stood  on  En- 
raghty's  gate-post. 

With  this  one  of  the  unbelievers  took  his  stand  at  the 
door  of  the  Temple  after  Redfield  had  passed  in  with 
his  prisoner,  and  lifted  it  successively  to  the  faces  of 
those  trying  to  enter.  He  allowed  some  and  refused 
others,  according  as  they  were  of  those  who  denied  or 
confessed  Dylks,  and  a  Hound  at  his  elbow  explained, 
"  Don't  want  any  but  goats  in  here,  to-night." 

The  common  parlance  was  saturated  with  scriptural 
phrase,  and  the  gross  mockery  would  have  been  taken 
seriously  if  the  speaker  had  not  been  so  notoriously  ir 
reverent.  As  it  was  the  words  won  him  applause 
which  Redfield  and  his  friends  were  not  able  to  quell. 
The  joke  was  caught  up  and  tossed  back  and  forth; 
the  Little  Flock  outside  raised  their  hymn,  the  scoffers 
within  joined  in  derision,  and  carried  the  hymn  through 
to  the  end. 

Dylks  sat  shrunken  on  the  bench  below  the  pulpit, 
his  head  fallen  forward  and  his  face  hidden.  Redfield 
and  one  of  his  friends  sat  on  either  side,  and  others 
tried  to  save  him  from  those  who  from  time  to  time 
pushed  forward  to  strike  him.  They  could  not  save 
him  from  the  insults  which  broke  again  and  again  upon 
the  silence;  when  Redfield  rose  and  appealed  to  the 
people  to  leave  the  man  to  the  law,  they  came  back  at 
him  with  shrieks  and  yells. 

142 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Did  the  law  keep  my  family  from  bein'  broke  up 
by  this  devil?  My  wife  left  me  and  my  own  brother 
won't  speak  to  me  because  I  would  n't  say  he  was  my 
Savior  and  my  God." 

"  I  'm  an  old  woman,  and  I  lived  with  my  son,  but 
my  son  has  quit  me  to  starve,  for  all  he  cares,  because  I 
believe  in  the  God  of  Jacob  and  he  believes  in  this  snort 
ing,  two-legged  horse." 

"  My  sister  won't  live  with  me,  because  I  won't  fall 
down  and  worship  her  Golden  Calf." 

"  He  's  spread  death  and  destruction  in  my  family. 
My  daughters  won't  look  at  me,  and  my  two  sons 
fought  till  they  were  all  blood,  about  him." 

The  accusings  and  upbraidings  thickened  upon  him, 
but  Dylks  sat  silent,  except  for  a  low  groan  of  what 
might  have  seemed  remorse.  He  put  his  hand  to  the 
place  on  his  head  where  the  hair  had  been  torn  away, 
and  looked  at  the  blood  on  his  fingers. 

A  woman  stole  under  the  guard  of  his  keepers,  and 
struck  him  a  savage  blow  on  the  cheeks,  first  one  and 
then  the  other.  "Now  you  can  see  how  it  feels  to 
have  your  own  husband  slap  you  because  you  won't  say 
you  believe  in  such  a  God  as  you  are,  you  heathen 
pest!" 

The  guards  struggled  with  her,  and  a  man  stooped 
over  Dylks  and  voided  a  mouthful  of  tobacco  juice  in 
his  face ;  another  lashed  him  on  the  head  with  a  switch 
of  leatherwood:  all  in  a  squalid  travesty  of  the  su 
preme  tragedy  of  the  race.  As  if  a  consciousness  of 

143 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

the  semblance  touched  the  gospel-read  actors  in  the 
drama,  they  shrank  in  turn  from  what  they  had  done, 
and  lost  themselves  in  the  crowd. 

The  night  wore  away  and  when  the  red  sunrise  be 
gan  to  pierce  the  dusk  of  the  Temple,  where  some  had 
fallen  asleep,  and  others  drowsed  as  they  walked  to  and 
fro  to  keep  themselves  awake,  Redfield  conferred  with 
his  lieutenants.  Then  they  pulled  their  captive  to  his 
feet,  not  roughly,  and  moved  with  him  down  the  aisle 
and  out  of  the  door.  They  left  some  of  the  slumberers 
still  sleeping;  of  the  others  not  all  followed  them  on 
their  way  to  Matthew  Braile's,  up  through  the  woods 
and  past  the  cornfields  and  tobacco  patches;  but  with 
those  of  the  Little  Flock  who  had  hung  night-long  about 
the  Temple,  singing  and  praying  to  their  idol,  they  ar 
rived,  some  before  and  some  after  the  prisoner,  at  the 
log  cabin  of  the  magistrate.  He  was  sitting  after  his 
habit  in  his  splint-bottomed  chair  tilted  against  the 
porch  wall,  waiting  for  the  breakfast  which  his  wife 
was  getting  within.  As  the  crowd  straggled  up  to  the 
porch,  he  tilted  his  chair  down,  and  came  forward  with 
a  frown  of  puzzle.  "What's  this?"  he  demanded; 
then,  catching  sight  of  a  woman's  eager  face  among 
the  foremost,  his  frown  relaxed  and  he  said,  "  Don't 
all  speak  at  once,  Sally." 

"  'Deed  and  'deed,  I  'm  not  agoun'  to  speak  at  all, 
Squire  Braile;  but  if  you  want  to  know  you  can  see  for 
yourself  that  they  've  got  the  Good  Old  Man  here,  and 
from  the  tell  I  've  hearn  they  want  you  to  try  him ; 

144 


"Now   you   can    see   how    it    feels   to    have   your    own   husband 
slap  you" 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

they've  been  hittun'  him  over  the  face  and  head  all 
night."  She  looked  defiantly  round  on  the  unbelievers 
who  so  far  joined  in  the  Squire's  grin  as  to  burst  into  a 
general  laugh,  and  a  cry  of  "  Good  for  you,  Sally. 
You  're  about  right." 

Braile  referred  himself  to  Redfield,  who  mounted  to 
the  porch  with  the  other  guards,  and  the  tattered  and 
bedraggled  Dylks  in  their  midst.  "  What  are  you  do 
ing  with  this  man,  Jim?  " 

"  We  've  brought  him  to  you  to  find  out,  Squire 
Braile.  You  know  who  he  is,  and  all  the  mischief 
he  's  been  making  in  this  settlement.  We  don't  need 
to  go  into  that." 

"  Wish  you  'd  step  in  there,"  the  Squire  said,  nod 
ding  toward  the  room  opposite  the  kitchen,  "  and  bring 
me  out  the  Laws  of  Ohio.  You  know  where  it  is." 

His  recognition  of  Redfield  as  a  law-student  pleased 
the  Herd  of  the  Lost,  and  one  of  the  guards  said,  "  All 
right,  Jim.  We  '11  hold  him." 

As  Redfield  disappeared  within,  the  Squire  called 
after  him,  "  Bring  out  my  table,  too,  will  you.  We  '11 
have  the  trial  here." 

"  That 's  all  right  as  fer  as  it  goes,  Squire,"  one  of 
the  crowd  before  the  cabin  called  out,  "  but  there  ain't 
room  enough  for  us  up  there." 

"  Well,"  the  Squire  answered,  "  you  've  got  the 
whole  State  of  Ohio  down  there.  I  reckon  you  can  find 
room  in  it,  if  you  stand  close." 

He  turned  the  joke  on  the  crowd;  which  acquiesced 
147 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

with  cheers.  When  Redfield  returned  with  the  large 
book  and  the  small  table  he  had  been  sent  for,  the 
Squire  drew  up  to  them  and  proclaimed  silence  in  the 
Court.  Then,  "  Who  complains  against  this  man  ? 
You,  James  Redfield?" 

"  I  arrested  him,  but  I  don't  complain  of  him  more 
than  the  rest.  You  know  what  he  's  been  doing  in 
Leatherwood,  as  well  as  other  places,  for  the  last 
month  or  six  weeks.  We  want  his  mischief  stopped; 
wre  want  to  see  what  the  law  can  do  about  it.  We 
could  have  lynched  him,  but  that  ain't  the  right  way, 
and  so  we  all  feel." 

"  Well,  we  've  got  to  make  a  start,  somewhere," 
the  justice  returned.  "  What 's  he  accused  of  ?  What 
do  you  accuse  him  of?  " 

"  Well,  for  one  thing,"  Redfield  said,  rather  reluc 
tantly,  "  he  professes  to  be  Almighty  God." 

"  And  he  is  God,  the  Most  High  Jehovah,  Maker  of 
Heaven  and  Earth,"  came  in  a  varying  cry,  from  the 
believers  who  had  gathered  increasingly  on  the  skirts 
of  their  enemies. 

Their  voices  seemed  to  put  life  and  courage  into  the 
prisoner,  who  for  the  first  time  lifted  his  fallen  face 
and  looked  at  the  justice  with  a  light  of  hope  in  his 
dulled  eyes. 

"  You  hear  that,"  the  old  squire  addressed  him.  "  Is 
that  your  name?  Are  you  God?  " 

"  Thou  sayest,"  the  prisoner  answered,  with  a  sud 
den  effrontery. 

148 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"That  will  do!"  the  old  man  shouted.  He  might 
have  been  willing  to  burlesque  the  case  from  his  own 
disbelief,  but  he  could  not  suffer  the  desecration  of 
the  hallowed  words;  and  Dylks  shrank  from  his  eyes 
of  fierce  rebuke.  "  Stand  away  from  him,"  he  added 
to  the  guards.  "  Now,  then,  have  you  folks  got  any 
other  charge  against  him?  Has  he  stolen  anything? 
Like  a  mule,  for  instance  ?  Has  he  robbed  a  hen-roost  ? 
Has  he  assaulted  anybody,  or  set  a  tobacco-shed  on  fire  ? 
Some  one  must  make  a  charge ;  I  don't  much  care  what 
it  is." 

The  old  man  scowled  round  on  the  people  nearest 
him  and  down  on  the  crowd  below.  The  believers 
waited  in  anxious  silence;  the  unbelievers  applauded 
his  humor  with  friendly  laughter,  and  a  kindlier  spirit 
spread  through  them ;  they  were  beginning  to  see  Dylks 
as  a  joke. 

"  Redfield," —  the  Squire  turned  to  the  young  man  — 
"  let 's  have  a  look  at  the  Laws  of  Ohio,  in  such  case 
made  and  provided."  He  opened  the  book  which  Red- 
field  put  on  the  table  before  him,  and  went  carefully 
through  the  index ;  then  he  closed  it.  "  There  don't 
seem,"  he  said,  "  to  be  any  charge  against  the  prisoner 
except  claiming  to  be  the  Almighty;  he  pleads  guilty 
to  that,  and  he  could  be  fined  and  imprisoned  if  there 
was  any  law  against  a  man's  being  God.  But  there 
is  n't,  unless  it 's  some  law  of  the  Bible,  which  is  n't  in 
force  through  reenactment  in  Ohio.  He  has  n't  of 
fended  against  any  of  our  statutes,  neither  he  nor  his 

149 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

followers.  In  this  State  every  man  has  a  right  to  wor 
ship  what  God  he  pleases,  under  his  own  vine  and  fig- 
tree,  none  daring  to  molest  him  or  make  him  afraid. 
With  religious  fanaticism  our  laws  have  nothing  to  do, 
unless  it  be  pushed  so  far  as  to  violate  some  public  ordi 
nance.  This  I  find  the  prisoner  has  not  done.  There 
fore,  he  stands  acquitted." 

A  roar  of  protest,  a  shout  of  joy  went  up  from  the 
crowd  according  to  their  belief  and  unbelief.  After 
his  first  plea  Dylks  had  remained  silent  in  becoming 
meekness  and  self-respect;  now  he  looked  wildly  round 
in  fear  and  hope ;  but  he  did  not  speak. 

"  Clear  the  way,  you !  "  the  Squire  called  to  the  peo 
ple  about  him  and  below  him,  and  he  got  slowly  to 
his  feet.  He  took  the  arm  of  the  prisoner  at  one  side, 
and  said,  "  Here,  Jim  Redfield,  you  take  this  fellow's 
other  arm,"  and  as  the  young  man  helplessly  obeyed, 
"  Now ! "  he  commanded,  and  with  Dylks  between 
them,  they  left  the  porch  and  passed  through  the  sever 
ing  crowd  of  friends  and  foes  before  the  cabin.  While 
they  hesitated  in  doubt  of  his  purpose,  Braile  led  the 
way  with  the  prisoner,  acquitted,  but  still  in  custody, 
toward  the  turnpike  road  where  the  country  lane  pass 
ing  the  cabin  joined  it  a  little  way  off. 

The  crowd  straggled  after  in  patient  doubt,  but  when 
the  Squire  halted  with  his  captive  and  bade  Redfield 
move  back,  the  suspicions  of  the  unbelievers  began  to 
stir. 

"  Now,  put ! "  the  Squire  said  in  a  low  voice  and 
150 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

loosed  his  hold.  Dylks  lifted  his  head  alertly  as  he 
was  accustomed  to  do  when  he  gave  his  equine  snort, 
but  now  he  made  no  sound.  He  leaped  forward  and 
ran  with  vast  bounds  up  the  smooth  turnpike  toward 
the  wall  of  woodland,  where  the  whiteness  of  the  high 
way  ceased  in  the  shadow  of  the  trees.  He  far  out 
distanced  the  foremost  of  his  pursuers,  who  stopped  to 
gather  the  broken  stone  heaped  along  the  roadside,  and 
under  the  rain  of  these  and  the  storm  of  curses  that 
they  sent  after  him,  he  escaped  into  the  forest. 

"  Well,  Abel,"  the  Squire  said  to  Reverdy,  whom  he 
found,  not  unexpectedly,  at  his  elbow  when  he  looked 
round,  "  he  may  not  be  much  of  a  god,  but  he  's  a  good 
deal  of  a  racehorse,  even  if  he  did  n't  give  his  snort." 

"  Look  here,  Squire  Braile,"  Redfield  broke  out  in 
the  first  realization  of  his  defeat,  "  I  'm  not  sure  your 
decision  was  just  right." 

"  Well,  you  can  appeal  the  case  to  the  Supreme 
Court,  Jim,"  the  old  man  returned.  "  It 's  my  break 
fast  time,"  and  he  stamped  stiffly  away  down  the  pike 
and  up  the  road  to  his  cabin,  followed  by  the  blessings 
of  the  Little  Flock. 

The  Little  Flock  had  remained  in  stupefaction  at 
the  junction  of  the  country  road  and  the  turnpike, 
helplessly  watching  the  flight  of  their  idol  from  the 
Herd  of  the  Lost.  When  Dylks  vanished  in  the  dusk 
of  the  forest,  and  the  last  of  those  who  had  followed 
him  came  lagging  breathless  back,  and  dropped  from 
their  hands  the  broken  stone  which  they  had  uncon- 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

sciously  brought  with  them,  the  Little  Flock  involun 
tarily  raised  their  hymn,  as  if  it  had  been  a  song 
of  triumph;  an  inglorious  triumph,  but  an  omen  of 
final  victory,  and  of  the  descent  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
in  Leather  wood. 

"  Never  mind !  "  one  of  the  Herd  panted.  "  We  '11 
have  him  out  of  that  gulf  of  dark  despair,  yit !  " 

"  The  Lord  will  put  forth  His  might,"  one  of  the 
Flock  defied  him.  "  But  if  you  fellows  want  to  feel 
the  arm  of  flesh,  here  and  now,  come  on !  " 

The  Squire  put  himself  between  the  forces.  "  I 
want  you  to  keep  the  peace;  I  command  the  peace,"  he 
said  with  magisterial  dignity. 

"  Oh,  all  right,  Squire,"  a  Hound  applauded  him. 
"  We  know  you  're  on  our  side." 

"  Brother  Braile  is  on  the  side  of  righteousness,"  the 
champion  of  the  Flock  answered. 

The  Squire  turned  a  frowning  face  upon  him.  "If 
the  law  could  have  held  your  god,  he  'd  have  been  on 
his  way  to  the  county  jail  by  this  time.  Now,  you  fel 
lows,  both  sides,  go  home,  and  look  after  your  corn  and 
tobacco;  and  you  women,  you  go  and  get  breakfast  for 
them,  and  wash  up  your  children  and  leave  the  King 
dom  of  Heaven  alone  for  a  while." 

The  weight  of  condemnation  was  for  the  Little 
Flock,  but  there  remained  discomfort  for  the  Herd  of 
the  Lost.  "  And  you,"  the  Squire  turned  to  them, 
"  you  let  these  folks  worship  any  stock  or  stone  they  're 
a  mind  to;  and  you  find  out  the  true  God  if  you  can, 

152 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

and  stick  to  Him,  and  don't  bother  the  idolaters.  I 
reckon  He  can  take  care  of  Himself.  I  command  you 
all  to  disperse.  Go  home !  Get  out !  Put !  " 

The  saints  and  the  sinners  felt  alike  the  mystical 
force  of  the  law  in  his  words  and  began  to  move  away, 
not  without  threats  and  defiances,  more  or  less  strag 
gling,  and  not  altogether  ceasing  even  after  they  had 
lost  sight  of  one  another  in  their  parting  ways. 

Redfield  stayed  to  walk  home  with  the  old  man. 
"Of  course,  Squire  Braile,"  he  said,  "  this  ain't  the  last 
of  Dylks,  and  it  ain't  the  last  of  us.  It 's  a  sin  and  a 
shame  to  have  the  thing  going  on  among  us.  You 
know  that  as  well  as  I  do.  It 's  got  to  be  stopped.  If 
he  'd  got  his  just  dues  from  you  — " 

"  You  young  fool,"  the  Squire  retorted,  kindly, 
"  have  n't  you  gone  far  enough  yet  in  your  Blackstone 
to  know  that  justice  is  one  thing  and  law  is  another? 
I  gave  Dylks  his  legal  deserts." 

"  Blackstone  says  the  law  is  the  perfection  of 
reason." 

"  Well,  you  think  it  don't  seem  to  be  so  in  the  State 
of  Ohio.  But  I  reckon  it  is,  and  so  long  as  we  look 
after  our  own  souls,  we  can't  do  better  than  let  others 
look  after  theirs  in  their  own  way.  Come  in  and  have 
some  breakfast!"  He  paused  before  his  cabin  with 
the  young  man. 

"  No,  not  this  morning,  Squire  Braile,"  Redfield 
lingered  a  moment,  and  then  he  said,  askingly,  "  I 
didn't  see  old  Mr.  Gillespie  anywhere  this  morning." 

153 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  did  n't  notice.  Where  it  comes  to  a  division  in 
public,  he  does  n't  usually  take  sides  against  his  daugh 
ter." 

"  He  won't  have  to,  after  this." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"  Did  n't  you  know  she  told  him  once  that  if  he  would 
bring  her  a  hair  of  Dylks's  head  she  would  deny  him  ? 
I  helped  him  to  a  whole  lock  of  it." 

"  Oh,  you  did  that  ?  "  There  was  condemnation  in 
the  Squire's  tone,  and  as  if  he  had  been  going  to  ex 
press  a  more  explicit  displeasure,  he  hesitated.  Then 
he  said,  "  Well,  I  must  be  going  in,"  and  turned  his 
back  upon  Redfield,  who  turned  again  into  the  turn 
pike  road  and  took  his  way  homeward  past  the  long  and 
deep  stretch  of  woods  where  Dylks  had  found  refuge. 


154 


XV 

IN  the  middle  of  the  forest  there  was  a  dense  thicket 
of  lower  growths  on  a  piece  of  dry  land  lifted 
above  the  waters  of  a  swamp.  The  place  was  the  lair 
of  such  small  wild  things  as  still  survived  in  the  wil 
derness  once  the  haunt  of  the  wolf  and  the  wild  cat, 
and  the  resort  of  the  bear  allured  by  the  profusion  of 
the  huckleberries  which  grew  there.  But,  except  in  the 
early  fall  when  the  annual  squirrel-hunt  swept  over  the 
whole  country  side  and  the  summer  drought  had  made 
the  swamp  easily  passable  to  the  gunners,  the  place  was 
unmolested.  Even  the  country  boy  who  seeks  the 
bounty  of  nature  wherever  she  offers  it,  and  makes  the 
outlying  property  of  man  his  prey  where  nature  has 
been  dispossessed,  did  not  penetrate  the  thicket  in  his 
search  for  hazelnuts  or  chinquapins;  it  was  proofed 
against  his  venture  by  its  repute  of  rattlesnakes  and 
copperheads  and  the  rumor  of  ghosts  and  witches. 
Few,  of  men  or  boys,  knew  the  approach  to  the  interior 
by  the  narrow  ridge  of  dry  land  lifted  above  the  marsh, 
and  Dylks  did  not  stop  in  his  flight  till  he  reached  the 
thicket  and  saw  in  it  his  hope  of  securer  refuge.  He 
walked  round  it  through  the  pools  which  the  frog  and 
turtle  haunted,  twice  before  he  found  this  path,  over- 

155 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

hung  by  a  tangle  of  grapevines.  There  his  foot  by  the 
instinct  which  the  foot  has  where  the  eye  fails  of  a 
path,  divined  the  scarcely  trodden  way,  and  he  found 
himself  in  a  central  opening  among  the  thickly  growing 
bushes.  It  was  warm  there,  without  the  close  heat  of 
the  woodland,  and  dry  except  for  the  spring  of  clear 
water  that  bubbled  up  in  the  heart  of  it,  and  trickled 
out  over  green  mosses  into  the  outer  waters  of  the 
swamp. 

The  man  stooped  over  and  drank  his  fill,  and  then 
made  his  greedy  breakfast  on  the  berries  that  grew 
abundantly  round,  and  nodded  hospitably  to  his  hand. 
All  the  time  he  wept,  and  moaned  to  himself  in  the  self- 
pity  of  a  hunted,  fearful  wretch.  Then  he  drank 
again  from  the  spring,  and  without  rising  from  his 
knees  pushed  himself  back  a  little  from  it,  and  fell  over 
in  an  instant  sleep. 

He  slept  through  the  whole  day,  and  at  night,  fall 
ing  early  in  the  shadows  of  the  forest  which  thickened 
over  his  retreat,  he  supped,  as  he  had  breakfasted,  on 
the  wild  berries  and  spring  water,  but  with  pro 
testing  from  a  stomach  habitually  flattered  by  the  lux 
ury  of  fried  chicken  and  ham,  and  corn-pone  and 
shortened  biscuit,  and  hot  coffee,  which  his  adorers  put 
before  him  when  he  laid  aside  his  divinity  and  de 
scended  to  the  gratification  of  his  carnal  greed.  He 
was  a  gross  feeder,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  fear  and 
the  joy  of  his  escape,  he  thought  of  these  things  and 
lusted  for  them  with  a  sort  of  thankless  resentment. 

156 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

He  looked  about  for  something  he  might  kill,  and  he 
found  a  wounded  pigeon  which  had  fluttered  into  his 
refuge  from  the  shot  of  some  gunner.  But  he  could 
not  bring  himself  to  eat  it  raw,  and  if  he  could  have 
kindled  a  fire  to  cook  it,  he  reflected,  it  would  have 
betrayed  him  to  his  pursuers  who  must  now  be  search 
ing  the  woods  for  him.  He  wrung  the  pigeon's  neck 
and  flung  it  into  the  bushes,  and  then  fell  down  and 
wept  with  his  face  in  the  grass.  He  had  slept  so  long 
that  now  he  could  not  sleep,  and  when  his  tears  would 
come  no  more,  he  sat  up  and  watched  the  night 
through  till  the  dawn  grayed  the  blue-black  sky.  The 
noises  of  the  noiseless  woods  made  themselves  heard : 
the  cry  of  a  night  hawk,  the  hooting  of  an  owl,  the 
whirring  note  of  the  whip-poor-will;  the  long,  plung 
ing  down-rush  of  a  dead  branch  breaking  the  boughs 
below  it;  even  the  snapping  of  twigs  as  if  under  the 
pressure  of  stealthy  feet.  These  sounds,  the  most 
delicate  of  the  sounds  he  heard,  shook  him  most  with 
fear  and  hope,  and  then  with  despair.  The  feet  could 
be  the  feet  of  his  enemies  seeking  him  out,  or  of  his 
friends  coming  to  succor  and  save  him;  then  they  re 
solved  themselves  into  the  light  pressure  from  little 
paws,  the  paws  of  the  wildcat,  or  the  coon,  and  there 
was  nothing  to  be  feared  or  hoped  from  them.  The 
constellations  wheeled  over  him  in  the  clear  sky,  and 
the  planets  blazed.  He  made  out  the  North  Star  from 
the  lower  lines  of  the  Dipper;  the  glowing  and  fading 
of  the  August  meteors  that  flitted  across  the  heavens 

157 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

seemed  to  leave  a  black  trace  on  his  straining  eyes. 
Texts  of  Scripture  declaring  how  the  splendors  of  the 
day  and  night  showed  forth  the  glory  of  the  Being 
whose  name  he  had  usurped  to  the  deceit  and  shame 
of  those  who  trusted  him,  glowed  and  faded  in  his 
mind  like  those  shooting  stars  in  the  sky.  At  one 
time  he  thought  he  had  cried  aloud  for  destruction 
in  the  sin  which  could  not  be  forgiven,  but  it  was  only 
a  dull,  inarticulate  moan  bursting  from  his  tortured 
breast. 

The  place  where  the  hair  had  been  torn  from  his 
head  burned  like  fire;  it  burned  like  the  wound  of  a 
man  whom  he  had  once  heard  tell  how  it  felt  to  be 
scalped  by  an  Indian;  the  man  had  recovered,  but  the 
wound  had  always  hurt;  and  Dylks  pitied  himself  that 
it  should  be  so  with  him,  and  cursed  himself  for  his 
unguarded  boast  that  any  one  who  touched  a  hair  of 
his  head  should  perish.  He  promised  that  if  God 
would  show  him  a  little  mercy,  and  send  a  raven  with 
something  for  him  to  eat,  something  warm,  or  send 
him  a  cup  of  coffee,  somehow,  or  even  a  raw  egg,  he 
would  go  forth  before  the  people;  he  would  get  up  in 
the  Temple  amidst  his  believers  and  declare  himself 
a  false  prophet  and  a  false  god.  He  would  not  care 
what  they  did  to  him  if  only  he  had  something  cooked 
to  eat,  something  hot  to  drink. 

Towards  morning  he  slept,  and  then  for  days  and 
nights,  how  many  he  did  not  know,  it  seemed  to  him 
that  he  did  not  wake  but  dreamed  through  a  changing 

158 


(THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

time  when  he  was  dimly  aware  of  contending  voices : 
voices  of  his  believers,  the  Little  Flock,  and  voices  of 
his  unbelievers,  the  Herd  of  the  Lost,  pleading  and 
threatening  in  the  forest  round  his  place  of  refuge. 
His  followers  were  trying  to  bring  him  food  and 
raiment,  and  his  enemies  were  preventing  them  and 
boasting  that  they  would  keep  guard  over  his  refuge 
till  they  starved  him  out.  Then  all  again  was  a  blur, 
a  texture  of  conscious  and  unconscious  misery  till  a 
night  came  when  the  woof  broke  and  trailed  away 
from  him,  and  he  lifted  himself  on  his  elbow  and  after 
he  had  drunk  a  long  draft  from  the  spring,  found 
tremulous  strength  to  get  to  his  feet.  He  tried  some 
steps  in  the  open  space,  where  the  light  of  the  full 
moon  fell,  and  found  that  he  could  walk.  He  reached 
the  tangled  entrance  to  his  covert,  and  stealthily  put 
the  vines  aside.  He  peered  out  into  the  shadows 
striped  with  moonshine  and  could  see  no  one,  and  he 
was  going  to  venture  farther,  when  he  stopped  stone 
still  at  the  figure  of  a  man  crouched  in  the  middle  of 
the  causeway.  The  man's  head  was  fallen  forward 
and  his  gun  lay  across  his  lap;  he  must  be  one  of  the 
guards  that  his  enemies  had  set  on  his  refuge  to  keep 
him  there  and  starve  him  out;  and  he  must  be  asleep. 
Dylks  stooped  and  peered  into  his  face  and  knew  the 
man  for  one  of  the  Hounds  who  had  often  disturbed 
his  meetings,  and  now  he  looked  about  in  the  rage 
that  surged  up  through  his  penitence  and  self-pity  for 
a  stone  or  a  club  to  strike  him  senseless,  or  dead  if 

159 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

need  be.  But  there  was  no  such  weapon  that  he  could 
see,  and  the  risk  of  a  struggle  was  greater  than  the 
risk  of  trying  to  pass  the  man  without  waking  him. 
After  long  doubt  he  tried  with  one  foot  and  then  an 
other  and  the  man  did  not  wake ;  then  he  crept  slowly 
by,  and  then  with  softly  dragging  steps  he  got  farther 
from  the  sleeper  and  pushed  on  through  the  woods 
in  the  direction  of  the  turnpike,  as  he  imagined  it. 
But  he  came  out  in  a  clearing  where  a  new  log  cabin 
showed  clear  in  the  open  under  the  moon. 

In  the  single  room  of  the  house  a  woman  lay  sleep 
ing  with  a  little  child  in  its  cradle  beside  her  bed.  She 
rose  up  and  put  out  her  hand  instinctively  to  still  the 
child,  but  it  was  sleeping  quietly,  and  then  she  started 
up  awake,  and  listened  for  the  voice  which  she  had 
dreamt  was  calling  her.  There  was  no  voice,  and  then 
there  was  a  voice  calling  hoarsely,  weakly,  "  Nancy ! 
Nancy!" 

In  her  dream  she  had  thought  it  was  the  voice  of 
her  husband  stealing  back  to  her  in  the  night,  and  it 
was  in  the  terror  of  her  dream  that  she  now  sprang 
from  her  bed,  with  her  heart  aching  for  pity  of  him,  to 
forbid  him  and  rebuke  him  for  breaking  his  promise, 
and  to  scold  him  away.  But  as  she  stood  listening, 
and  the  voice  came  again  she  knew  it  was  not  the 
voice  of  Laban.  She  ran  to  the  ladder  which  led  to 
the  cabin  loft,  and  called  up  through  the  open  trap 
door,  "  Jane !  Jane !  Come  down  here  to  the  baby, 
will  you  ?  I ' ve  got  to  leave  her  a  minute." 

160 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  What  for  ?  "  the  girl  answered  sleepily.  Then, 
"  Oh,  I  '11  come.  She  ain't  sick,  is  she,  Aunt  Nancy  ? 
Oh,  I  do  hope  she  ain't  sick ! " 

"  No.  She  ain't  sick,"  Nancy  said,  as  she  put  her 
hands  up  to  help  the  girl  place  her  feet  aright  on  the 
rungs  of  the  ladder.  "  But  —  listen!  "  she  whispered 
as  the  voice  outside  called  again.  "  It 's  that  mis- 
er'ble  wretch !  It 's  Joseph  Dylks !  I  've  got  to  go  to 
him !  Don't  you  say  a  word,  Jane  Gillespie !  He  's 
Joey's  father,  and  he  must  be  at  death's  door,  or  he 
would  n't  come  to  mine/' 

She  left  the  girl  standing  dazed,  and  ran  out  and 
round  the  cabin.  In  the  shadow  that  it  cast  in  the 
moon,  Dylks  crouched  close  in  the  angle  made  by  the 
chimney. 

"  Oh,  Nancy !  "  he  implored  her,  "  do  give  me  some 
thing  to  eat!  Something  warm.  Coffee,  if  you've 
got  it.  I  've  been  sick,  and  I  'm  starving." 

She  knew  without  seeing  it  in  the  shadow  how  he 
was  stretching  out  pleading  hands  to  her,  and  she  had 
mercy  upon  him.  But  she  said  stonily,  "  Wait  a  min 
ute.  Don't  be  a  cry-baby,"  and  ran  back  to  the 
door,  and  called  to  the  girl  within,  "  Rake  open  the 
fire,  Jane,  and  set  the  kittle  on."  Then  she  ran 
back  to  Dylks  and  stood  over  him.  "  Where  you 
been?  Don't  you  know  they  '11  kill  you  if  they  ketch 
you?" 

"  Yes,  I  know  it,  Nancy.  But  I  knew  this  would 
be  the  last  place  they  would  come  for  me.  Will  the 

161 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

coffee  be  ready  soon  ?  Oh,  I  'm  so  faint !  I  reckon 
I  'm  going  to  die,  Nancy." 

"  I  reckon  you  ain't  goin'  to  die  before  you  get  your 
coffee.  It  '11  be  ready  as  soon  as  the  kittle  boils." 

She  stood  looking  grimly  down  at  him,  while  he 
brokenly  told,  so  far  as  he  knew  it,  the  story  of  the 
days  he  had  passed  in  hiding. 

"  I  reckon,"  she  said,  with  bitter  scorn,  "  that  / 
could  have  fetched  you  out.  I  'd  'a'  brought  you 
some  hot  coffee  to  the  door  of  your  den,  and  you  'd 
'a'  come  when  you  smelt  it." 

"  Yes,  that 's  true,"  he  owned  in  meek  acceptance 
of  her  scorn. 

The  child  cried,  and  she  went  in,  but  she  had  no 
need  to  comfort  it  except  with  a  word.  Jane  had 
come  to  the  little  one,  and  was  stooping  above  it,  and 
cooing  to  it  motherwise,  and  cuddling  it  to  her  body 
while  it  drowsed  away  to  silence. 

"  You  mind  her,  Jane,"  the  mother  said,  and  she 
lifted  the  pot  of  coffee  from  the  bed  of  coals,  sending 
a  dim  glow  into  the  room  to  meet  the  dawn  at  the 
open  door.  She  put  some  sugar  into  the  bowl  she  got 
from  its  shelf,  and  covered  it  with  a  piece  of  cold  corn- 
pone,  and  then  went  out  to  Dylks  who  had  remained 
on  his  knees,  and  now  stretched  out  his  trembling 
hands  toward  her. 

She  did  not  speak,  but  poured  the  bowl  full  of  the 
steaming  coffee,  and  watched  him  while  he  gulped  half 

162 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

of  it  down.     Then  he  reached  eagerly  for  the  bread. 
"Is  it  hot?  "he  asked. 

"No,  it  ain't,"  the  woman  said.  "You  can  eat 
cold  pone,  I  reckon,  can't  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ;  oh,  yes,  and  glad  to  get  it.  Only  I 
thought  — "  He  stopped  and  washed  down  the 
mouthful  he  had  torn  from  the  cake  with  a  draft  of 
the  coffee  which  emptied  the  bowl.  She  filled  it  me 
chanically  from  the  pot  in  her  hand,  and  he  drank 
again  more  slowly,  and  devoured  the  pone  as  he  drank. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  I  should  be  all  right  if  it  was  n't 
for  my  head  where  they  tore  out  my  hair.  It  burns 
like  fire." 

She  bent  over  him  and  looked  at  the  wound  un 
flinchingly.  "  I  can't  see  very  good  in  this  light;  if  I 
only  had  some  goose-grease  —  but  I  reckon  hog's  lard 
will  do.  Hold  on  till  I  can  wash  it." 

"  Oh,  Nancy,"  he  moaned  gratefully. 

She  was  gone  rather  long  and  there  was  talk  within 
and  the  cooing  and  babble  of  the  child.  When  she 
came  out  with  a  basin  of  warm  water  and  some  lard 
in  a  broken  saucer  in  her  hands,  and  a  towel  caught 
under  her  arm,  he  suggested,  "  I  heard  you  talking 
with  some  one,  Nancy." 

"And  I  suppose  it  scared  you,"  she  answered  un 
sparingly.  "  Well,  you  may  thank  your  stars  it 
was  n't  Laban.  I  do  believe  he  'd  kill  you,  meek  as 
he  is." 

163 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Dylks  drew  a  quivering  breath.  "Yes,  I  reckon 
he  would.  I  suppose  you  must  have  told  him  about 
me." 

"  Of  course,  I  did.  Here !  Hold  still !  "  She  had 
begun  to  wash  his  wound,  very  gently,  though  she 
spoke  so  roughly,  while  he  murmured  with  the  pain 
and  with  the  comfort  of  the  pain.  "If  you  want  to 
know/'  she  continued,  "  it 's  Jane.  She  's  been  with 
me  ever  since  that  night  they  caught  you.  You  made 
her  ashamed  before  her  father,  and  between  her  shame 
and  his  pride  her  and  him  don't  speak,  or  hain't,  since 
then.  She  stays  with  me  and  Joey  stays  with  him." 

"  Our  Joey?  "  he  asked  plaintively. 

"  My  Joey ! "  she  returned,  and  she  involuntarily 
twitched  at  the  hair  she  was  smoothing. 

"  Oh !  "  he  cried  from  the  pain,  but  she  did  not  mind 
his  pain. 

"  There ! "  she  said,  beginning  to  put  on  the  lard. 
Then  she  bound  over  the  wound  the  soft  pledget  of  old 
linen  she  had  brought,  and  tied  round  his  head  a  cotton 
rag  to  hold  the  dressing  in  place.  She  said,  "  There !  " 
again.  "  I  reckon  that  will  do." 

He  moaned  gratefully.  "  It 's  the  first  time  I  've 
been  out  of  pain  for  I  don't  know  how  many  days  and 
nights.  Nancy!"  he  burst  out  in  all  recognition  of 
her  goodness,  "  I  ought  n't  to  have  left  you." 

She  had  been  kneeling  before  him  in  dressing  his 
hurt,  and  then  in  critically  regarding  her  handiwork, 
she  got  to  her  feet.  "  I  know  you  ought  n't,"  she  re- 

164 


She  had  begun  to  wash  his  wound,  very  gently,  though  she 
spoke  so  roughly,  while  he  murmured  with  the  pain  and  with 
the  comfort  of  the  pain 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

torted,  "  but  I  'm  glad  you  done  it.  And  I  'm  thankful 
every  breath  I  draw.  And  now  I  want  you  to  go. 
And  don't  you  think  I  done  what  I  done  out  of  love 
for  you,  Joseph  Dylks.  I  'd  V  done  it  for  any  hurt 
or  hungry  dog." 

Dylks  got  to  his  feet  too,  with  little  moans  for  the 
stiffness  in  his  joints.  "  I  know  you  would,  Nancy/' 
he  said  humbly,  "  but  all  the  same  I  won't  forget  it. 
If  there  was  anything  I  could  do  to  show  — " 

"  There  's  something  you  could  do  besides  drownin' 
yourself  in  the  creek,  which  I  don't  ask  you:  in  the 
first  place  because  I  don't  want  your  death  on  my 
hands,  and  in  the  next  place  because  you're  the  un- 
fittin'est  man  to  die  that  I  can  think  of ;  but  there  's 
something  else,  and  you  know  it  without  my  tellin' 
you,  and  that  is  to  stop  all  this,  now  and  forever. 
Don't  you  pretend  you  don't  know  what  I  mean !  " 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,  Nancy,  and  the  good 
Lord  knows  I  would  be  glad  enough  to  do  it  if  I  could. 
But  I  would  n't  know  how  to  begin." 

"  Begin,"  she  said  with  a  scornful  glance  at  the  long 
tangle  of  his  hair,  "  begin  by  cuttin'  off  that  horse's 
tail  of  yours,  and  then  stop  snortin'  like  a  horse." 

He  shook  his  head  hopelessly.  "  It  would  n't  do, 
Nancy.  They  wouldn't  let  me  draw  back  now. 
They  would  kill  me." 

"They?" 

"  The  —  the  —  Little  Flock,"  he  answered  shame 
facedly" 

i67 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  The  Herd  of  the  Lost  will  kill  you  if  you  don't." 
She  saicl  it  not  in  mocking,  but  in  realization  of  the 
hopeless  case,  and  not  without  pity.  But  at  his  next 
words,  she  hardened  her  heart  again. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  do.  I  don't  know  where 
to  go.  I  have  nowhere  to  lay  my  head." 

"  Don't  you  use  them  holy  words,  you  wicked 
wretch !  And  if  you're  hintin'  at  hidin'  in  my  house, 
you  can't  do  it — not  with  Jane  here  —  she  would 
kill  you,  I  believe  —  and  not  without  her." 

"  No,  Nancy.  I  can  see  that.  But  where  can  I 
go  ?  Even  that  place  in  the  woods,  they  're  watching 
that,  and  they  would  have  me  if  I  tried  to  go  back." 

From  an  impulse  as  of  indifference  rather  than  con 
sideration  she  said,  "  Go  to  Squire  Braile.  He  let  you 
off;  let  him  take  care  of  you." 

"  Nancy!  "  he  exclaimed.     "  I  thought  of  that." 

She  gathered  up  the  basin  and  the  towel  she  brought, 
and  without  looking  at  him  again  she  said,  "  Well,  go, 
then,"  and  turned  and  left  him  where  he  stood. 


168 


XVI 

•  % 

MATTHEW  BRAILE  was  sitting  in  his  wonted 
place,  with  his  chair  tilted  against  his  porch 
wall,  smoking.  Dylks  faltered  a  moment  at  the  bars 
of  the  lane  from  the  field  of  tall  corn  where  he  had 
been  finding  his  way  unseen  from  Nancy's  cabin.  He 
lowered  two  of  the  middle  bars  and  when  he  had  put 
them  up  on  the  other  side  he  stood  looking  toward  the 
old  man.  His  long  hair  hung  tangled  on  his  shoul 
ders  ;  the  white  bandage,  which  Nancy  had  bound  about 
his  head,  crossed  it  diagonally  above  one  eye  and  gave 
this  the  effect  of  a  knowing  wink,  which  his  drawn 
face,  unshaven  for  a  week,  seemed  to  deprecate. 

Braile  stared  hard  at  him.  Then  he  tilted  his  chair 
down  and  came  to  the  edge  of  his  porch,  and  called 
in  cruel  mockery,  "Why,  God,  is  that  you? '' 

"  Don't,  Squire  Braile !  "  Dylks  implored  in  a  hoarse 
undertone.  "  They  're  after  me,  and  if  anybody  heard 
you—" 

"  Well,  come  up  here/'  the  Squire  bade  him.  Dylks 
hobbled  slowly  forward,  and  painfully  mounted  the 
log  steps  to  the  porch,  where  Braile  surveyed  him  in 
detail,  frowning  and  twitching  his  long  feathery  eye 
brows. 

169 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  know  I  don't  look  fit  to  be  seen,"  Dylks  began, 
"but—" 

"  Well/'  the  Squire  allowed  after  further  pause, 
"  you  don't  look  as  if  you  had  just  come  '  down  from 
the  shining  courts  above  in  joyful  haste ' !  Had  any 
breakfast?" 

"  Nancy  —  Nancy  Billings  —  gave  me  some  coffee, 
and  some  cold  pone  — " 

!(  Well,  you  can  have  some  hot  pone  pretty  soon. 
Laban  there?" 

"  No,  he 's  away  at  work  still.  But,  Squire 
Braile  — " 

"  Oh,  I  understand.  I  know  all  about  Nancy,  and 
her  first  husband  and  how  he  left  her,  and  she  thought 
he  was  dead,  and  married  a  good  man,  and  when 
that  worthless  devil  came  back  she  thought  she  was 
living  in  sin  with  that  good  man  —  in  sin!  —  and 
drove  him  away.  But  she  's  as  white  as  any  of  the 
saints  you  lie  about.  It  was  like  you  to  go  to  her  the 
first  one  in  your  trouble.  Well,  what  did  she  say  ?  " 

"  She  said  — "  Dylks  stopped,  his  mouth  too  dry 
to  speak ;  he  wetted  his  lips  and  whispered  — "  She 
said  to  come  to  you ;  that  you  would  know  what  it  was 
best  for  me  to  do;  to — "  He  stopped  again  and 
asked,  "Do  you  suppose  any  one  will  see  me  here?" 

"  Oh,  like  as  not.  It 's  getting  time  for  honest  folks 
to  be  up  and  going  to  work.  But  I  don't  want  any 
trouble  about  you  this  morning;  I  had  enough  that 
other  morning.  Come  in  here !  "  He  set  open  the 

170 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

door  of  one  of  the  rooms  giving  on  the  porch,  and 
at  Dylks's  fearful  glance  he  laughed,  not  altogether 
unkindly.  "  Mis'  Braile  's  in  the  kitchen,  getting 
breakfast  for  you,  though  she  don't  know  it  yet.  Now, 
then !  "  he  commanded  when  he  sat  down  within,  and 
pushed  a  chair  to  Dylks.  "  Tell  me  all  about  it,  since 
I  saw  you  going  up  the  pike." 

In  the  broken  story  which  Dylks  told,  Braile  had 
the  air  of  mentally  checking  off  the  successive  facts, 
and  he  permitted  the  man  a  measure  of  self-pity, 
though  he  caught  him  up  at  the  close.  "  Well,  you  've 
got  a  part  of  what  you  deserve,  but  as  usually  happens 
with  us  rascals,  you  've  got  too  much,  at  the  same  time. 
And  what  did  Nancy  advise  ?  " 

"  She  told  me  to  come  to  you  — " 

"What  did  Nancy  advise?"  the  Squire  repeated 
savagely. 

"  She  advised  me  to  stop  all  this  " —  he  waved  his 
hands  outward,  and  the  Squire  nodded  intelligently  — 
"  to  tell  them  it  was  n't  true ;  and  I  was  sorry ;  and  to 
go  away  — " 

He  stopped,  and  Braile  demanded,  "  Well,  and  are 
you  going  to  do  it? " 

"  I  want  to  do  it,  and  —  I  can't." 

"  You  can't  ?     What 's  to  hinder  you  ?  " 

"  I  'm  afraid  to  do  it." 

"Afraid?" 

"  They  would  kill  me,  if  I  did." 

"They?     Who?     The  Herd  of  the  Lost?  " 
171 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  The  Little  Flock." 

The  men  were  both  silent,  and  then  after  a  long 
breath,  the  Squire  said,  "  I  begin  to  see  — " 

"  No,  no !  You  don't  begin  to  see,  Squire  Braile." 
Dylks  burst  out  sobbing,  and  uttering  what  he  said 
between  his  sobs.  "  Nobody  can  understand  it  that 
has  n't  been  through  it !  How  you  are  tempted  on, 
step  by  step,  all  so  easy,  till  you  can't  go  back,  you 
can't  stop.  You  're  tempted  by  what 's  the  best  thing 
in  you,  by  the  hunger  and  thirst  to  know  what 's  going 
to  be  after  you  die;  to  get  near  to  the  God  that  you  've 
always  heard  about  and  read  about;  near  Him  in  the 
flesh,  and  see  Him  and  hear  Him  and  touch  Him. 
That 's  what  does  it  with  them,  and  that 's  what  does 
it  in  you.  It 's  something,  a  kind  of  longing,  that 's 
always  been  in  the  world,  and  you  know  it 's  in  others 
because  you  know  it 's  in  you,  in  your  own  heart,  your 
own  soul.  When  you  begin  to  try  for  it,  to  give  out 
that  you  're  a  prophet,  an  apostle,  you  don't  have  to 
argue,  to  persuade  anybody,  or  convince  anybody. 
They  're  only  too  glad  to  believe  what  you  say  from 
the  first  word;  and  if  you  tell  them  you're  Christ, 
did  n't  He  always  say  He  would  come  back,  and  how 
do  they  know  but  what  it 's  now  and  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  the  Squire  said.     "  Go  on." 

"  When  I  said  I  was  God,  they  had  n't  a  doubt  about 
it.  But  it  was  then  that  the  trouble  began." 

"The  trouble?" 

"  I  had  to  make  some  of  them  saints.  I  had  to 
172 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

make  Enraghty  Saint  Paul,  and  I  had  to  make  Kings 
ton  Saint  Peter.  You  think  I  had  to  lie  to  them,  to 
deceive  them,  to  bewitch  them.  I  did  n't  have  to  do 
anything  of  the  kind.  They  did  the  lying  and  deceiv-  ; 
ing  and  bewitching  themselves,  and  when  they  done 
it,  they  and  all  the  rest  of  the  believers,  they  had  me 
fast,  faster  than  I  had  them."  \ 

"  I  could  imagine  the  schoolmaster  hanging  on  to 
his  share  of  the  glory,  tooth  and  nail,"  the  Squire  said 
with  a  grim  laugh.  "  But  old  Kingston,  good  old  soul, 
he  ought  to  have  let  go,  if  you  wanted  him  to." 

"  Oh,  you  don't  know  half  of  it,"  Dylks  said,  with 
a  fresh  burst  of  sobbing.  "  The  worst  of  it  is,  and  the 
dread fulest  is,  that  you  begin  to  believe  it  yourself." 

"What's  that?"  the  Squire  demanded  sharply. 

"  Their  faith  puts  faith  into  you.  If  they  believe 
what  you  say,  you  say  to  yourself  that  there  must  be 
some  truth  in  it.  If  you  keep  telling  them  you  're 
Jesus  Christ,  there  's  nothing  to  prove  you  ain't,  and 
if  you  tell  them  you  're  God,  who  ever  saw  God,  and 
who  can  deny  it?  You  can't  deny  it  yourself  — " 

"  Hold  on !  "  the  old  man  said.  He  had  risen,  and 
he  began  to  walk  up  and  down,  swaying  his  figure  and 
tilting  his  head  from  side  to  side,  and  frowning  his 
shaggy  eyebrows  together  in  a  tangled  hedge.  Sud 
denly,  he  stopped  before  Dylks.  "  Why,  you  poor 
devil,  you  're  not  in  any  unusual  fix.  It  must  have 
been  so  with  all  the  impostors  in  the  world,  from 
Mahomet  up  and  down !  Why,  there  is  n't  a  false 

173 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

prophet  in  the  Old  Testament  that  could  n't  match  ex 
periences  with  you !  That 's  the  way  it 's  always  gone : 
first  the  liar  tells  his  lie,  and  some  of  the  fools  believe 
it,  and  proselyte  the  other  fools,  and  when  there  are 
enough  of  them,  their  faith  begins  to  work  on  the 
liar's  own  unbelief,  till  he  takes  his  lie  for  the  truth. 
Was  that  the  way,  you  miserable  skunk  ?  " 

"  It  was  exactly  the  way,  Squire  Braile,  and  you 
can't  tell  how  it  gains  on  you,  step  by  step.  You  see 
all  those  educated  people  like  Mr.  Enraghty,  and  all 
those  good  men  like  Mr.  Kingston  taking  it  for  gospel, 
and  you  can't  deny  it  yourself.  They  convince  you 
of  it." 

"  Exactly !  And  then,  when  the  Little  Flock  gath 
ers  in  all  the  mentally  lame,  halt  and  blind  in  the  set 
tlement,  you  could  n't  get  out  of  it  if  you  had  the 
whole  Herd  of  the  Lost  to  back  you,  with  the  Hounds 
yelping  round  to  keep  your  courage  up ;  you  've  got 
to  stay  just  where  you  put  yourself,  heigh?  " 

"  There  would  n't/'  Dylks  said,  drying  his  eyes  on 
a  tatter  of  his  coat  sleeve,  "  be  so  much  trouble  if  it 
was  n't  for  the  miracles." 

"  Yes,"  Braile  replied  to  the  thoughtful  mood  which 
he  had  fallen  into,  rather  than  to  Dylks,  "  the  ignorant 
are  sure  to  want  a  sign,  though  the  wise  could  get 
along  without  it.  And  you  have  to  promise  them  a 
sign;  you  have  to  be  fool  enough  to  do  that,  though 
you  know  well  enough  you  can't  work  the  miracle." 

"  You  ain't  sure  you  can't.     You  think,  maybe  — " 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Then,  why/'  the  Squire  shouted  at  him,  "  why  in 
the  devil's  name,  did  n't  you  work  the  miracle  at 
Kingston's  mill  that  night?  Why  didn't  you  turn 
that  poor  fool  woman's  bolt  of  linsey-woolsey  into 
seamless  raiment  ?  " 

Dylks  did  not  answer. 

"  Why  did  n't  you  do  it  ?     Heigh  ?  " 

"  I  thought  maybe  —  I  did  n't  know  but  I  did  do  it." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"  When  I  came  up  outside  and  told  them  that  the 
miracle  had  been  worked  and  the  seamless  raiment  was 
inside  the  bolt,  I  thought  it  must  be  there." 

"  Why,  in  the  name  of  — " 

"  I  had  prayed  so  hard  for  help  to  do  it  that  I 
thought  it  must  be." 

"You  prayed?     To  whom?" 

"To  — God." 

"To  yourself?" 

Dylks  was  silent  again  in  the  silence  of  a  self -con 
victed  criminal.  He  did  not  move. 

Braile  had  been  walking  up  and  down  again  in 
his  excitement,  in  his  enjoyment  of  the  psychological 
predicament,  and  again  he  stopped  before  Dylks. 
"  Why,  you  poor  bag  of  shorts !  "  he  said.  "  I  could 
almost  feel  sorry  for  you,  in  spite  of  the  mischief 
you  've  made.  Why,  you  ought  n't  to  be  sent  to  the 
penitentiary,  or  even  lynched.  You  ought  to  be  put 
amongst  the  county  idiots  in  the  poorhouse,  and  — " 

There  came  a  soft  plapping  as  of  bare  feet  on  the 
175 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

puncheon  floor  of  the  porch;  hesitating  about  and  then 
pausing  at  the  door  of  the  opposite  room.  Then  there 
came  with  the  increased  smell  of  cooking,  the  talking 
of  women.  Presently  the  talking  stopped  and  the 
plapping  of  the  bare  feet  approached  the  door  of  the 
room  shutting  the  two  men  in.  The  Squire  set  it 
slightly  ajar,  in  spite  of  Dylks's  involuntary,  "  Oh, 
don't !  "  and  faced  some  one  close  to  the  opening. 

"  That  you,  Sally  ?  You  have  n't  come  to  borrow 
anything  at  this  hour  of  the  night?  " 

"  Well,  I  reckon  if  you  was  up  as  early  as  Mis' 
Braile,  you  'd  know  it  was  broad  day.  No,  I  hain't 
come  to  borry  anything  exactly,  but  I  was  just  tellin* 
her  that  if  she  'd  lend  me  a  fryun'  of  bacon,  I  'd  do  as 
much  for  her  some  day.  She  ast  me  to  tell  you  your 
breakfast  was  ready  and  not  to  wait  till  your  comp'ny 
was  gone,  but  bring  anybody  you  got  with  you." 

Sally  peered  curiously  in  at  the  opening  of  the  door, 
and  Braile  abruptly  set  it  wide.  "  Perhaps  you  'd  like 
to  see  who  it  is." 

Sally  started  back  at  sight  of  the  figure  within. 
When  she  could  get  her  breath  she  gasped,  "  Well,  for 
mercy's  sakes!  If  it  ain't  the  Good  Old  Man,  him 
self  ! "  But  she  made  no  motion  of  revering  or  any 
offer  of  saluting  her  late  deity. 

"  Well,  now,  if  you  've  got  some  bacon  for  Abel's 
breakfast  you  better  stop  and  have  yours  with  us,"  the 
Squire  suggested. 

"  No,  I  reckon  not,"  Sally  answered.  "  I  ain't  ex- 
176 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

actly  sure  Abel  would  like  it.  He  ain't  ever  been  one 
of  the  Flock,  although  at  the  same  time  he  ain't  ever 
been  one  of  the  Herd :  just  betwixt  and  between,  like." 
As  she  spoke  she  edged  away  backward.  "  Well,  I 
must  be  goun',  Squire.  Much  obleeged  to  you  all  the 


same." 


The  Squire  followed  her  backward  steps  with  his 
voice.  "If  you  should  happen  to  see  Jim  Redfield  on 
his  way  to  his  tobacco  patch,  I  wish  you  'd  tell  him  to 
come  here ;  I  'd  like  to  see  him." 

He  went  in  again  to  Dylks. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me,  Squire 
Braile?"  he  entreated.  "You're  not  going  to  give 
me  up  ?  " 

"  I  know  my  duty  to  my  Maker,"  the  old  man  an 
swered.  "  I  '11  take  care  of  you,  Jehovah  Dylks.  But 
now  you  better  come  in  to  breakfast  —  get  some  hot 
pone.  I  '11  bring  you  a  basin  of  water  to  wash  up 
in.'" 

He  reopened  the  door  in  the  face  of  Sally  Reverdy, 
who  gasped  out  before  she  plapped  over  to  the  steps 
and  dropped  away,  "  I  just  seen  Jim  Redfield,  and  I 
tole  him  you  wanted  him,  and  he  said  he  would  be  here 
in  half  an  hour,  or  as  soon  as  he  could  see  that  the 
men  had  begun  on  his  tubbacco.  I  did  n't  tell  him  who 
you  had  here,  and  I  won't  tell  anybody  else;  don't 
you  be  afraid." 

"Well,  that's  a  good  girl,  Sally.  Abel  couldn't 
have  done  better  himself,"  the  Squire  called  after  her, 

177 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

and  then  he  turned  to  Dylks.  "  Come  along  now,  and 
get  your  hot  pone.  Jim  Redfield  won't  hurt  you;  I  '11 
go  bail  for  him,  and  I  '11  see  that  nobody  else  gets  at 
you.  I  've  got  a  loft  over  this  room  where  you  '11 
be  safe  from  everything  but  a  pet  coon  that  your  Joey 
gave  my  little  boy;  and  I  reckon  the  coon  won't  bite 
ydu.  /  would  n't,  in  his  place." 


XVII 

% 

REDFIELD  came  rather  later  than  he  had  prom 
ised,  excusing  himself  for  his  delay.     "  I  was 
afraid  the  frost  had  caught  my  tobacco,  last  night; 
but  it  seems  to  be  all  right,  as  far  as  I  can  see ;  I  stayed 
till  the  sun  was  well  up  before  I  decided." 

"  It  was  a  pretty  sharp  night,  but  I  don't  believe 
there  was  any  frost,"  the  Squire  said.  "  At  least  Dylks 
did  n't  complain  of  it." 

"  Dylks  ?  "     Redfield  returned. 

"  Yes.     Did  n't  you  know  he  was  out  again  ?  " 

"  No,  I  did  n't.  If  I  had  that  fellow  by  the  scruff 
of  the  neck !  " 

The  Squire  knew  he  meant  the  sleeping  sentinel  at 
the  thicket  where  Dylks  had  been  hidden,  and  not 
Dylks.  But  he  said  nothing,  and  again  Redfield 
spoke. 

"  Look  here,  Squire  Braile,  I  think  you  did  a  bad 
piece  of  business  letting  that  fellow  go." 

"  I  know  you  do,  Jim,  but  I  expect  you  '11  think  dif 
ferent  when  you  've  seen  him." 

"  Seen  him  ?     You  mean  you  know  where  he  is  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  all  I  've  got  to  say  is  that  if  I  can  lay  hands 
on  that  fellow  he  won't  give  me  the  slip  again." 

179 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Well,  suppose  we  try/'  the  Squire  said,  and  he 
opened  the  door  into  the  room  where  Dylks  was  cower 
ing,  and  remarked  with  a  sort  of  casualness,  as  if  the 
fact  would  perhaps  interest  them  both,  "  Here  's  one 
of  the  Lost,  Dylks.  I  thought  you  might  like  to  see 
him.  Now,  sit  down,  both  of  you  and  let 's  talk  this 
thing  over." 

He  took  a  place  on  the  side  of  the  bed  and  the  ene 
mies  each  faltered  to  their  chairs  in  mutual  amaze. 

"  Oh,  sit  down,  sit  down ! "  the  Squire  insisted. 
"  You  might  as  well  take  it  comfortably.  Nobody  's 
going  to  kill  either  of  you." 

"  I  don't  want  to  do  anybody  any  harm,"  Dylks  be 
gan. 

"  You  'd  better  not !  "  Redfield  said  between  his  set 
teeth ;  his  hands  had  knotted  themselves  into  fists  at  his 
side. 

"  I  'm  all  weak  yet  from  the  fever  I  had  there,  with 
nothing  but  water  and  berries,"  Dylks  resumed  in  his 
self-pity.  "  I  did  think  some  of  my  friends  might 
have  come  — " 

"  I  took  good  care  of  that,"  Redfield  said.  "  They 
did  come,  at  first,  with  something  to  eat,  but  they  knew 
blame  well  we  'd  have  wrung  their  necks  if  we  'd  'a' 
caught  'em.  We  meant  to  starve  you  out,  that 's  what, 
and  we  did  it,  and  if  it  had  n't  been  for  that  good- 
for-nothing  whelp  sleeping  over  his  gun  you  would  n't 
have  got  out  alive." 

"  Well,  that 's  all  right  now,  Jim,  and  you  'd  better 
180 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

forgive  and  forget,  both  of  you,"  the  Squire  inter 
posed.  "  Dylks  has  reformed,  he  tells  me ;  he  's  sorry 
for  having  been  a  god,  and  he  's  going  to  try  to  be  a 
man,  or  as  much  of  a  man  as  he  can.  He  's  going  to 
tell  the  Little  Flock  so,  and  then  he  's  going  to  get  out 
of  Leatherwood  right  off  — " 

Dylks  cleared  his  throat  to  ask  tremulously,  "  Did 
I  say  that,  Squire  Braile?  " 

"  Yes,  you  did,  my  friend,  and  what 's  more  you  're 
going  to  keep  your  word,  painful  as  it  may  be  to  you. 
I  '11  let  you  manage  it  your  own  way,  but  some  way 
you  're  going  to  do  it ;  and  in  the  meantime  I  'm  going 
to  put  you  under  the  protection  of  Jim  Redfield, 
here—" 

" My  protection?  "  Redfield  protested. 

''  Yes,  I  've  sworn  you  in  as  special  constable,  or  I 
will  have  as  soon  as  I  can  make  out  the  oath,  and  have 
you  sign  it.  And  Dylks  will  get  out  of  the  county  as 
soon  as  he  can  —  he  tells  me  it  won't  be  so  easy  as  we 
would  think;  and  when  he  does,  it  will  be  much  more 
to  the  purpose  than  riding  on  a  rail  in  a  coat  of  tar  and 
feathers.  Why !  "  he  broke  off,  with  a  stare  at  Dylks 
as  if  he  saw  his  raggedness  for  the  first  time,  "  you  '11 
want  a  coat  of  some  kind  to  show  yourself  to  the  Little 
Flock  in ;  the  Herd  of  the  Lost  won't  mind;  they  don't 
want  to  be  so  proud  of  you.  I  must  look  up  something 
for  you ;  or  perhaps  send  to  Brother  Kingston ;  he  's 
about  your  size.  But  that  don't  matter,  now !  What 
I  want  is  your  promise,  Jim  Redfield,  and  I  know 

181 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

you  '11  do  what  you  say,  that  you  won't  tell  anybody 
that  the  Supreme  Being  is  hiding  in  my  loft,  here,  till 
I  say  so,  and  when  I  do,  that  you  '11  see  no  harm  comes 
to  him  from  mortals  —  from  Hounds,  and  such  like, 
or  even  the  Herd  of  the  Lost.  Do  you  promise?  " 

Redfield  hesitated.     "  If  he  '11  leave  the  county,  yes." 

"  And  you,  { Jehovah,  Jove  or  Lord  '  ?  " 

"  I  will,  as  quick  as  I  can,  Squire  Braile ;  I  will,  in 
deed." 

The  Squire  rose  from  the  edge  of  the  bed.  "  Then 
this  court  stands  adjourned,"  he  said  formally. 

Redfield  went  out  with  him,  leaving  Dylks  trembling 
behind.  He  said,  "  I  ain't  sure^  you  ain't  making  a 
fool  of  me,  Squire  Braile." 

"  Well,  /  am,"  the  Squire  retorted.  "  And  don't 
you  make  one  of  yourself,  and  then  there  won't  be 
any." 

Redfield  still  hesitated.  "  I  'd  just  like  to  had  an 
other  pull  at  that  horse-tail  of  his,"  he  said  wistfully. 

"  Well,  I  knew  old  man  Gillespie  had  n't  quite  the 
strength.  But  I  thought  maybe  Hughey  Blake  helped 
pull  — " 

"  Hughey  Blake,"  Redfield  returned  scornfully, 
"  had  nothing  to  do  with  it." 

"  Well,  anyway,  I  hear  it 's  converted  Jane  Gillespie, 
and  she  was  worth  lit,  though  it  was  rather  too  much 
like  scalping  a  live  Indian." 

"  She  's  worth  more  than  all  the  other  girls  in  this 
settlement  put  together,"  Redfield  said,  without  com- 

182 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

ment  on  the  phase  of  the  act  which  had  interested  the 
Squire,  and  went  down  the  cabin  steps  into  the  lane. 

Braile  turned  back  and  opened  the  door  of  the  room 
where  Dylks  was  lurking. 

"  Better  come  out,  now,"  he  said,  not  ungently, 
"  and  get  into  a  safe  place  before  folks  begin  to  be 
about  much.  Or  wait  —  I  '11  put  the  ladder  up  first." 
He  brought  the  ladder  from  the  kitchen  where  he  ex 
changed  a  fleeting  joke  with  his  wife,  still  at  her  work 
of  clearing  the  breakfast  things  away,  and  set  it  against 
the  wall  under  the  trapdoor  of  the  loft.  "  Now, 
then !  "  he  called  and  Dylks  came  anxiously  out. 

"  Ain't  you  afraid  — "  he  began. 

"  No,  but  you  are,  and  that  '11  do  for  both  of  us. 
There  's  nobody  round,  and  if  you  '11  hurry,  nobody  '11 
see  you.  Push  the  lid  to  one  side,  and  get  in,  and 
you  '11  be  perfectly  safe,"  he  said  as  Dylks  tremulously 
mounted  the  ladder.  "  I  don't  say  you  '11  be  very  com 
fortable.  There  's  a  little  window  at  one  end,  but  it 
don't  give  much  air,  and  this  August  sun  is  apt  to  get 
a  little  warm  on  the  clapboards.  And  I  don't  suppose 
it  smells  very  well  in  there;  but  the  coon  can't  help 
that;  it 's  the  way  nature  scented  him;  she  had  n't  any 
sweet  brier  handy  at  the  time.  And  be  careful  not 
to  step  on  him.  He  's  not  very  good-tempered,  but  I 
reckon  he  won't  bite  you  if  you  don't  bite  him." 

The  kitchen  door  opened  and  Mrs.  Braile  put  her 
head  out.  She  saw  the  ladder  and  the  two  men. 
Then  she  came  out  into  the  porch.  "  Well,  Matthew 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Braile,  I  might  have  knowed  from  the  sound  of  your 
voice  that  you  was  up  to  some  mischief.  Was  you 
go  in'  to  send  that  poor  man  up  into  that  hot  loft? 
Well,  I  can  tell  you  you  're  not."  She  went  into  the 
room  they  had  left,  and  they  heard  her  stirring  vig 
orously  about  beyond  its  closed  door,  with  a  noise  of 
rapid  steps  and  hard  and  soft  thumpings.  She  came 
out  again  and  said,  "  Go  in  there,  now,  Mr.  Dylks,  and 
try  to  get  some  rest.  I  've  made  up  the  bed  for  you, 
and  /'//  see  that  nobody  disturbs  you.  Matthew 
Braile,  you  send  and  tell  Mr.  Kingston, —  or  go,  if  you 
can't  ketch  anybody  goin'  past, —  and  tell  him  he  's 
here,  and  bring  some  decent  clothes;  he  ain't  fit  to  be 
seen." 

!(  Well,  he  don't  want  to  be,"  the  Squire  said  in  the 
attempt  to  brave  her  onset.  "  But  I  reckon  you  're 
right,  mother.  I  should  probably  have  thought  of  it 
myself  —  in  time.  I  '11  send  Sally  or  Abel,  if  they  go 
past  —  and  they  nearly  always  do  —  or  some  of  the 
hands  from  the  tobacco  patches.  Or,  as  you  say,  I 
may  go  myself,  towards  evening.  He  won't  want 
to  be  troubled  before  then." 


184 


XVIII 

AT  the  first  meeting  in  the  Temple  after  the  open 
return  of  Dylks  to  his  dispensation,  the  Little 
Flock  had  apparently  suffered  no  loss  in  number. 
Some  of  his  followers  had  left  him,  but  his  disciples 
had  been  busily  preaching  him  during  his  abeyance, 
and  the  defection  of  old  converts  was  more  than  made 
up  by  the  number  of  proselytes.  The  room  actually 
left  by  the  Flock  was  filled  by  the  Herd  of  the  Lost 
who  occupied  all  the  seats  on  one  side  of  the  Temple, 
with  Matthew  Braile  and  his  wife  in  a  foremost  place, 
the  lower  sort  of  them  worsening  into  the  Hounds  who 
filled  the  doorway,  and  hung  about  the  outside  of  the 
Temple. 

The  whole  assembly  was  orderly.  Those  of  the 
Little  Flock  who  conducted  the  services  had  a  quelled 
air,  which  might  have  been  imparted  to  them  by  the 
behavior  of  Dylks;  he  sat  bowed  and  humble  on  the 
bench  below  the  pulpit,  while  Enraghty  preached  above 
him.  It  was  rumored  that  at  the  house-meetings  the 
worship  of  Dylks  had  been  renewed  with  the  earlier 
ardor;  there  had  been  genuflections  and  prostrations 
before  him,  with  prayers  for  pardon  and  hymns  of 
praise,  especially  from  the  proselytes.  Dylks  was  said 
to  have  accepted  their  adoration  with  a  certain  passivity 

185 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

but  to  have  done  nothing  to  prevent  it;  there  was  not 
the  more  scandalous  groveling  at  his  feet  which  had 
stirred  up  the  community  to  his  arrest.  There  was  as 
much  decorum  as  could  consist  with  the  sacrilegious 
rites  which  were  still  practised  with  his  apparent  con 
nivance. 

He  now  sat  without  apparent  restiveness  under  the 
eyes  of  the  two  men  who  had  the  greatest  right  to  exact 
the  fulfilment  of  his  promise,  to  forbid  this  idolatry,  to 
end  the  infamy  of  its  continuance,  and  to  go  out  from 
among  the  people  whose  instincts  and  conventions 
his  presence  outraged.  Near  Redfield  sat  David  Gil- 
lespie  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  Dylks  in  a  stare  of  hungry 
hate,  and  with  him  sat  his  daughter,  who  testified  by 
her  removal  from  the  Little  Flock  her  renunciation 
of  her  faith  in  him.  Redfield  showed  greater  patience 
than  Gillespie,  and  at  times  his  eyes  wandered  to  the 
face  of  the  girl  who  did  not  seem  to  feel  them  on  her, 
but  sat  gazing  at  her  forsaken  idol  in  what  might 
have  seemed  puzzle  for  him  and  wonder  at  herself. 
Others  who  had  rejected  him  merely  kept  away;  but 
she  came  as  if  she  would  face  down  the  shame  of  her 
faith  in  him  before  the  eyes  of  her  little  world.  Some 
times  Dylks  involuntarily  put  his  hand  to  the  black 
silken  cap  which  replaced  the  bandage  Nancy  Billings 
had  tied  over  the  place  where  the  hair  had  been  torn 
out.  When  he  did  this,  the  girl  moved  a  little;  her 
face  hardened,  and  she  stole  a  glance  at  Redfield. 

The  schoolmaster  went  on  and  on,  preaching  Dylks 
186 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

insistently,  but  not  with  the  former  defiance.  He  did 
not  spare  to  speak  of  the  cruel  sufferings  inflicted  upon 
their  Savior  and  their  God,  who  had  borne  it  with  the 
meekness  of  the  Son  and  the  mercy  of  the  Father. 
The  divine  being  who  had  come  to  sojourn  among 
them  at  Leatherwood  in  the  flesh,  for  the  purposes  of 
his  inscrutable  wisdom  might  have  blasted  his  enemies 
with  a  touch,  a  word,  but  he  had  spared  them ;  he  had 
borne  insult  and  injury,  but  in  the  Last  Day  he  would 
do  justice,  he  the  judge  of  all  the  earth.  Till  then, 
let  the  Little  Flock  have  patience;  let  them  have  faith 
sustained  by  the  daily,  hourly  miracles  which  he  had 
wrought  among  them  since  his  return  to  their  midst, 
and  rest  secure  in  the  strong  arms  which  he  folded 
about  them. 

Dylks  sat  motionless.  "Well,  mother,"  Matthew 
Braile  hoarsely  whispered  to  his  wife,  "  I  reckon  you  'd 
better  have  let  me  put  him  up  with  the  coon.  The  heat 
might  have  tried  the  mischief  out  of  him.  He  has  n't 
kept  his  word." 

"  No,  Matthew,  he  has  n't,"  she  whispered  back, 
"  and  I  think  his  lying  to  you  so  is  almost  the  worst 
thing  he  's  done.  The  next  time  you  may  put  him 
with  the  coon.  Only,  the  coon  's  too  good  for  him. 
But  I  reckon  Jim  Redfield  will  look  out  for  him." 

"  Jim  '11  have  to  let  him  alone.  We  can't  have  any 
more  mobbing,  and  there 's  no  law  that  can  touch 
Dylks  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  We  settled  that  the  first 
time." 

1187 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Enraghty  abruptly  closed  his  discourse  with  a  de 
mand  for  prayer,  and  addressed  his  supplication  to  the 
Savior  and  the  Judge  incarnate  there  among  them. 
The  Little  Flock  sang  the  hymn  which  always  opened 
and  closed  its  devotions,  and  at  the  end,  Kingston,  who 
sat  by  Dylks  on  the  bench  below  the  pulpit,  made  a 
movement  as  if  to  rise.  But  Dylks  put  out  his  hand 
and  stayed  him.  He  welcomed  Enraghty  to  the  place 
which  he  left  beside  Kingston,  and  slowly,  with  the 
step  of  one  in  a  dream,  mounted  the  stairs  of  the  pul 
pit,  amidst  the  silent  amaze  of  the  people.  He  began 
without  preamble  in  the  blend  of  scriptural  text  and 
crude  every-day  parlance  which  he  ordinarily  used. 

"Ye  have  heard  it  said  aforetime  that  the  New 
Jerusalem  would  come  down  here  in  Leatherwood,  but 
I  say  unto  you  that  all  that  has  passed  away,  that  the 
words  which  were  spoken  by  the  prophet  might  be  ful 
filled,  '  Many  are  called  but  few  are  chosen/  Verily, 
verily,  I  said  unto  you,  that  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away,  but  the  words  I  speak  now  shall  not  pass  away. 
If  the  works  which  have  been  done  in  Leatherwood  had 
been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon,  the  New  Jerusalem 
would  have  come  down  in  both  places,  for  they  did  not 
stone  the  prophets  as  the  Herd  of  the  Lost  did  in 
Leatherwood." 

"  He  means  that"  morning  when  he  took  up  the  pike 
and  the  fellows  chased  him  into  the  tall  timber,"  Braile 
whispered  to  his  wife;  "  but  /  can't  tell  what  he  's  driv 
ing  at," 

188 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"Be  still!  "she  said. 

Many  of  the  Little  Flock  groaned  and  cried  aloud; 
the  Herd  of  the  Lost,  except  for  one  shrill  note  of  bitter 
laughter,  were  silent,  and  only  those  who  sat  near  per 
ceived  that  it  was  Jane  Gillespie  who  had  laughed. 
Redfield  looked  round  at  her,  unconscious  of  his  look. 

"  I  go  a  long  way  off,"  Dylks  proceeded,  "  and  some 
of  my  beloved,  even  my  Little  Flock,  cannot  follow  me; 
but  though  they  cannot  follow  me,  even  the  lame,  halt, 
and  blind  shall  be  with  me  in  the  spirit,  and  shall 
behold  the  New  Jerusalem  where  I  will  bring  it 
down." 

Many  of  the  Little  Flock  at  this  cried  out,  "  Where 
will  it  be,  Lord  ?  "  "  Where  will  the  New  Jerusalem 
come  down?  "  "  How  shall  we  see  it?  " 

"  With  the  eyes  of  faith,  even  as  ye  have  seen  the 
miracles  I  have  wrought  among  ye,  which  were  shown 
to  babes  and  sucklings  and  were  hidden  from  the  wise 
of  this  world.  But  now  I  go  from  you,  and  my  feet 
shall  be  upon  the  mountains  and  shall  descend  upon 
the  other  side  and  there  I  will  bring  down  the  New 
Jerusalem,  and  there  ye  shall  be,  in  the  flesh  or  in  the 
spirit,  to  behold  the  wonder  of  it." 

Some  of  the  Little  Flock  cried  out  again.  "  Oh, 
don't  leave  us,  Father ! "  "  Take  us  all  with  you  in 
the  flesh !  "  "  We  want  to  be  taken  up  with  you !  "  and 
then  some  of  them  entreated,  "  Tell  us  about  it;  tell  us 
what  it  will  be  like." 

Dylks  lifted  his  eyes  as  if  in  the  rapture  of  the  vision. 
189 


A 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 


'  Its  light  shall  eclipse  the  splendor  of  the  sun.  The 
temples  thereof,  and  the  residences  of  the  faithful  will 
be  built  of  diamonds  excelling  the  twinkling  beauty 
of  the  stars.  Its  walls  will  be  of  solid  gold,  and  its 
gates  silver.  The  streets  will  be  covered  with  green 
velvet,  richer  in  luster  and  fabric  than  mortal  eye  ever 
beheld.  The  gardens  thereof  will  be  filled  with  all 
manner  of  pleasant  fruits,  precious  to  the  sight,  and 
pleasant  to  the  taste.  The  faithful  shall  ride  in 
chariots  of  crimson,  drawn  by  jet-black  horses  that 
need  no  drivers ;  and  their  joys  shall  go  on  increasing 
forever.  The  air  of  the  city  shall  be  scented  with  the 
smell  of  shrubs  and  flowers,  and  ten  thousand  different 
instruments  all  tuned  to  the  songs  of  heaven  shall  fill 
the  courts,  and  the  streets  and  the  temples,  and  the 
residences,  and  the  gardens  with  music  like  ear  hath 
not  heard,  swelling  the  soul  of  the  saved  with  perpetual 
delight.'  " 

Sighs  and  groans  of  ecstasy  went  up  from  the  Flock 
at  each  of  the  studied  pauses  which  Dylks  made  in 
recounting  the  wonders  of  the  heavenly  city,  fancied 
one  after  another  at  the  impulse  of  their  expectation. 
At  the  end  they  swarmed  forward  to  the  altar  place 
and  flung  themselves  on  the  ground,  and  heaped  the 
pulpit  steps  with  their  bodies.  "  Take  us  with  you, 
Lord !  "  they  entreated.  "  Take  us  all  with  you  in  the 
flesh ! "  "  Don't  leave  us  here  to  perish  among  the 
heathen  and  the  ungodly  when  you  go."  Then  some 
began  to  ask,  as  if  he  had  already  consented,  "  But  what 

190 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

shall  we  eat,  and  what  shall  we  drink,  and  wherewithal 
shall  we  be  clothed  on  that  far  journey?" 

Dylks  leaned  forward  against  the  pulpit  desk  and 
showed  a  few  coins  drawn  from  the  pocket  of 
Kingston's  pantaloons  which  he  was  wearing. 
"  These  shall  be  enough,  for  out  of  these  three  rusty 
old  coppers  I  can  make  millions  of  gold  and  silver  dol 
lars." 

The  frenzy  mounted,  and  the  Herd  of  the  Lost  who 
began  to  tire  of  the  sight,  left  the  temple.  Redfield 
followed  out  behind  Matthew  Braile  and  his  wife. 
"  That  settles  it/'  he  said.  "  I  '11  see  to  Mr.  Dylks  in 
the  morning." 

"  Now,  I  look  at  it  differently.  He  's  going,  like  he 
said  he  would,  and  we  've  got  to  let  him  go  in  his  own 
way,  and  bring  down  the  New  Jerusalem  Over-the- 
Mountains,  or  anywhere  else  he  pleases,  so  he  don't 
bring  it  down  in  Leatherwood." 

"  I  say  so,  too,  Matthew.  He  's  keeping  his  word 
the  best  he  can,  poor  lying  soul.  They  would  n't  let 
him  back  out  now." 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  trouble  him,  Jim  Redfield, 
till  you  have  a  warrant  from  me,"  Braile  resumed, 
braced  by  his  wife's  support.  "  And  I  want  you  to 
keep  the  Hounds  away,  and  give  Dylks  a  fair  start. 
You  know  the  law  wron't  let  you  touch  him.  Now  do 
you  hear?  " 

"  I  hear,"  Redfield  said  sullenly,  with  the  consent 
which  Braile  read  in  his  words.  "  But  if  there  's  any 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

more  such  goings  on  as  we  've  had  here  to-night,  I 
won't  answer  for  the  rest  of  his  scalp.'' 

He  hurried  forward  from  the  elderly  couple  and 
overtook  the  Gillespies  walking  rapidly.  Hughey 
Blake  had  just  fallen  away  from  them  and  stood  dis 
consolately  looking  after  them. 

"Is  that  you,  James  Redfield?"  David  Gillespie 
asked,  peering  at  him  in  the  night's  dimness.  "  This 
is  the  man  that  helped  me  to  get  you  a  lock  of  that 
scoundrel's  hair/'  he  said  to  his  daughter. 

She  answered  nothing  in  acknowledgment  of  the 
introduction,  but  Redfield  said,  coming  round  to  her 
side  and  suiting  his  step  to  hers,  "  I  would  like  to  go 
home  with  you  till  my  road  passes  yours." 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  if  you  ain't  ashamed  to  be  seen 
with  such  a  fool.  Nobody  can  see  you  to-night,"  she 
added,  bitterly,  including  him  in  her  self-scorn. 

"  You  need  n't  imply  that  I  like  it  to  be  in  the  dark. 
I  would  like  to  walk  with  you  in  broad  day  past  all  the 
houses  in  Leatherwood.  But  I  don't  suppose  you  'd 
let  me."  She  did  not  say  anything,  and  he  added, 
"  I  'm  going  to  ask  you  to  the  first  chance."  Still  she 
did  not  say  anything,  though  her  father  had  fallen  be 
hind  and  left  the  talk  wholly  to  them. 


194 


XIX 

NANCY  sat  at  her  door  in  the  warm  September 
evening  when  the  twilight  was  beginning  to  come 
earlier  than  in  the  August  days,  and  her  boy  rushed 
round  the  corner  of  the  cabin  in  a  boy's  habitual 
breathlessness  from  running. 

"  Oh,  mother,  mother !  "  he  called  to  her,  as  if  he 
were  a  great  way  off.  "  Guess  what !  "  He  did  not 
wait  for  her  to  guess.  "  The  Good  Old  Man  is  goin' 
to  leave  Leatherwood  and  go  Over  the  Mountains 
with  the  Little  Flock,  and  he  says  he  's  goin'  to  bring 
down  the  New  Jerusalem  at  Philadelphy,  and  all  that 
wants  to  go  up  with  him  kin  go.  Mr.  Kingston 's  goin' 
with  him,  and  he 's  goin'  to  let  Benny.  Benny  don't 
know  whether  he  can  get  to  go  up  in  the  New  Jerusalem 
or  not,  but  he's  goin'  to  coax  his  father  the  hardest 
kind." 

He  stopped  panting  at  his  mother's  knees  where 
she  sat  on  the  cabin  threshold  nearly  as  high  as  he 
stood.  She  put  up  her  hand  and  pushed  the  wet  hair 
from  his  forehead.  "  How  you  do  sweat,  Joey !  Go 
round  and  wash  your  face  at  the  bench.  Maybe  Jane 
will  give  you  a  drink  of  the  milk,  while  it 's  warm  yet, 
before  she  lets  it  down  in  the  well.  She  's  just  through 
mffldnV1 

195 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

The  boy  tore  himself  away  with  a  shout  of  "  Oh, 
goody!"  and  his  mother  heard  him  at  the  well. 
"  Wait  a  minute,  Jane !  Mother  said  I  could  have  a 
drink  before  you  let  it  down,"  and  then  she  heard  him, 
between  gulps,  recounting  to  the  girl's  silence  the  ru 
mors  she  had  already  heard  from  him.  He  came  run 
ning  back,  with  a  white  circle  of  milk  round  his  lips. 
"  Mother,"  he  began,  "  have  you  ever  been  Over-the- 
Mountains  ?  " 

"  No,  I  've  never  been  anywhere  but  just  here  in  the 
country,  and  where  you  was  born,  back  where  we 
moved  from." 

"  Well,  mother,  how  old  am  I  now  ?  " 

"  You  're  goin'  on  twelve,  Joey  dear." 

"  Yes,  that 's  what  I  thought.  Benny  ain't  on'y  ten. 
And  he  ain't  as  big  for  his  age  as  what  I  am.  He  's 
been  to  the  circus,  though ;  his  father  took  him  to  it  at 
Wheeling  that  time  when  he  went  on  the  steamboat. 
I  wisht  I  could  go  to  a  circus." 

"  Well,  maybe  you  kin  when  you  grow  up.  Circuses 
ain't  everything." 

"  No,"  the  boy  relucted.  "  Benny  says  the  New 
Jerusalem  will  be  a  good  deal  like  the  circus.  That 's 
the  reason  he  coaxed  his  father  to  let  him  go.  Is 
Philadelphy  as  far  as  Wheeling?  " 

"  A  good  deal  further,  from  what  I  've  heard  tell," 
his  mother  said ;  she  smiled  at  his  innocently  sinuous  ap 
proach  to  his  desire. 

He  broke  out  with  it.     "  Mother,  what 's  the  reason 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

I  can't  go  with  Benny,  and  Mr.  Kingston,  and  the  Little 
Flock  ?  They  'd  take  good  care  of  me,  and  I  would  n't 
make  Mr.  Kingston  any  trouble.  Me  'n'  Benny  could 
sleep  together.  And  the  Good  Old  Man  he  's  always 
been  very  pleasant  to  me.  Patted  my  head  oncet,  and 
ast  me  what  my  name  was." 

"Did  you  tell  him  it  was  Billings?"  his  mother 
asked  uneasily. 

"No,  just  Joseph;  and  he  said,  well,  that  was  his 
name,  too.  Don't  you  think  the  Good  Old  Man  is 
good?" 

''  We  're  none  of  us  as  good  as  we  ought  to  be,  Joey. 
No,  he  ain't  a  good  man,  I  'm  afraid." 

"My!"  the  boy  said,  and  then  after  a  moment: 
"  I  don't  want  to  go,  Mother,  unless  you  want  to  let 
me  go." 

His  mother  did  not  speak  for  a  while,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  she  were  not  going  to  speak  at  all,  so  that  the  boy 
said,  with  a  little  sigh  of  renunciation,  "  I  did  n't  expect 
you  would.  But  I  'd  be  as  careful !  And  even  if  the 
Good  Old  Man  ain't  so  very  good,  Mr.  Kingston  is, 
and  he  would  n't  let  anything  happen  to  me." 

The  woman  put  her  hand  under  the  boy's  chin,  and 
looked  into  his  eager  eyes  which  had  not  ceased  their 
pleading.  At  last  she  said,  "  You  can  go,  Joey !  " 

"Mother!"  He  jumped  to  his  feet  from  his 
crouching  at  hers.  "  Oh,  glory  to  God !  " 

"  Hush,  Joey,  you  must  n't  say  things  like  that.  It 's 
like  swearing,  dear." 

197 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  know  it  is,  and  I  did  n't  mean  to.  Of  course 
it 's  right,  in  meetin',  and  it  kind  of  slipped  out  when 
I  was  n't  thinkin'.  But  I  won't  say  any  bad  things, 
you  need  n't  be  afraid.  Oh,  I  '11  be  as  good !  But  look 
a'  here,  mother !  Why  can't  you  come,  too  ?  " 

"  And  leave  your  little  sister?  "     She  smiled  sadly. 

"  I  did  n't  think  of  that.  But  could  n't  Jane  take 
care  of  her  ?  She 's  always  carryin'  her  around.  And 
Uncle  David  could  come  here,  and  live  with  them.  He 
would  n't  want  to  stay  there  without  me,  or  no  one." 

"  It  would  n't  do,  Joey  dear." 

"  No,"  the  boy  assented. 

"  You  can  go  and  tell  Benny  I  said  you  might  go, 
if  his  father  will  have  you." 

"  Oh,  he  will;  he  said  so ;  Benny  's  ast  him !  And 
he  said  he  'd  take  good  care  of  us  both." 

"  I  'm  not  afraid.  You  know  how  to  take  care  of 
yourself.  And,  Joey  — " 

She  stopped,  and  the  boy  prompted  her,  "  What, 
mom?  " 

"  When  I  said  the  Good  Old  Man  was  n't  a  good 
man,  I  did  n't  want  to  set  you  against  him.  I  want 
you  to  be  good  to  him." 

"  Yes,  mother,"  the  boy  assented  in  a  puzzle.  "  But 
if  he  ain't  good  — " 

"  He  ain't,  Joey.  He 's  a  wicked  man.  Sometimes 
I  think  he  's  the  wickedest  man  in  the  world.  But  I 
want  you  to  watch  out,  and  if  ever  you  can  help  him,  or 

198 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

do  anything  for  him,  remember  that  I  wanted  you  to 
do  it:  a  boy  can  often  help  a  man." 

"  I  will,  mother.  But  I  don't  see  the  reason,  if  he  's 
so  very  wicked,  why — " 

"  That 's  the  very  reason,  Joey  dear.  And  go  and 
tell  Benny  now  that  I  let  you  go.  And  —  don't  tell 
him  what  I  said  about  the  Good  Old  Man." 

"  Oh,  I  woon't,  I  woon't,  mom !  Oh,  glory  —  Oh, 
I  did  n't  mean  to  say  it,  and  I  did  n't,  really,  did  I  ? 
But  I  'm  so  glad,  and  Benny  '11  be,  too !  Can  I  tell  him 
now?  To-night?" 

"  Yes.     Run  along." 

He  hesitated;  then  he  leaped  into  the  air  with  a  joy 
ful  yell  and  vanished  round  the  corner  of  the  cabin 
into  the  dusk. 

His  mother  did  not  leave  her  place  on  the  threshold, 
but  sat  with  her  face  bowed  in  her  hands.  By  and  by 
Jane  Gillespie  came  to  the  door  from  within,  and  then 
Nancy  lifted  her  head  and  made  room  for  her  to  sit 
beside  her.  She  told  her  what  had  passed,  and  Jane 
said,  "HI  was  a  man  I  would  —  Well,  I  know  what 
I  would  do !  " 

She  did  not  sit  down,  but  stood  behind  Nancy  and 
talked  down  over  her  shoulder.  "  Yes,"  Nancy  said, 
"  that 's  what  I  used  to  say  when  I  was  a  girl.  But 
now  I  'm  glad  I  ain't  a  man,  for  I  would  n't  know  what 
to  do." 

"  Well,  I  would  n't  'a'  left  a  hair  in  his  head.  I  'd 
199 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

V—  I  'd  V  half  killed  him!  Oh,  when  I  think  what 
a  fool  that  man  made  of  me !  " 

"  Don't  let  Jim  Redfield  make  a  fool  of  you,  then." 

"  Who  said  I  'm  letting  him  ? "  the  girl  demanded 
fiercely. 

"  Nobody.     But  don't." 

"  Aunt  Nancy !  If  it  was  anybody  but  you  said  such 
a  thing !  But  /  know !  It 's  because  you  're  so  set  on 
Hughey  Blake.  Hughey  Blake!"  she  ended  scorn 
fully,  and  went  back  into  the  cabin. 

Nancy  rose  from  her  place  with  a  sigh.  "  Oh,  I 
'spose  you  're  right  about  my  lettin'  Joey  go.  7  don't 
know  why  I  let  him." 


20O 


XX 

THE  meetings  of  the  Little  Flock  had  continued 
ever  since  the  reappearance  of  Dylks,  and  in  the 
earlier  spirit.  But  the  spring  was  broken,  and  since 
he  had  said  that  the  New  Jerusalem  would  not  come 
down  at  Leatherwood,  many  had  lost  not  faith  but 
hope.  Few  could  have  the  hope  of  following  him  as 
far  as  far-off  Philadelphia,  and  sharing  the  glories 
which  he  promised  them  there.  For  a  pioneer  com 
munity  the  people  were  none  of  them  poor;  some  were 
accounted  rich,  and  among  the  richest  were  many  fol 
lowers  of  E)ylks.  But  most  of  the  Flock  were  hard 
working  farmers  who  could  not  spare  the  time  or  the 
money  for  that  long  journey  Over-the-Mountains,  even 
with  the  prospect  of  the  heavenly  city  at  the  end.  Yet 
certain  of  the  poorest  set  their  houses  in  order,  and 
mortgaged  their  lands,  and  went  with  the  richest,  when 
on  a  morning  after  the  last  great  meeting  in  the  Tem 
ple,  the  Little  Flock  assembled  for  parting,  some  to 
go  and  some  to  stay. 

Nancy  did  not  come  with  her  boy  for  the  farewell. 
They  had  kissed  each  other  at  the  cabin  door,  and  then 
he  had  run  light-heartedly  away,  full  of  wild  expecta 
tion,  to  find  Benny  Kingston  at  the  Cross  Roads  and 
then  race  with  him  to  join  the  crowd  before  the 

201 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

Temple,  where  the  Little  Flock  stood  listening  to  the 
last  words  which  the  Good  Old  Man  should  speak 
to  them  in  Leatherwood.  Many  wept;  Dylks  himself 
was  crying.  The  enemies  of  their  faith  did  not  molest 
them  except  for  a  yelp  of  derision  now  and  then,  and 
a  long-drawn  howl  from  the  Hounds,  kept  well  back 
by  the  Herd  of  the  Lost,  under  the  command  of  Red- 
field.  He  stood  in  the  chief  place  among  these,  and 
at  his  right  hand  Matthew  Braile  leaned  on  his  stick. 

When  the  last  prayer  had  been  said,  and  they  who 
were  going  had  kissed  or  shaken  hands  with  those  who 
were  staying,  and  friends  and  foes  had  both  scattered, 
Braile  said  to  the  young  man  whom  he  now  faced, 
"  Well,  that 's  the  last  of  him." 

Redfield's  jaw  was  still  set  from  the  effort  of  seeing 
the  affair  through  in  as  much  decency  as  he  had  been 
able  to  enforce.  "  It  ain't  the  last  of  them.  But  I 
reckon,  now  he 's  gone,  they  '11  behave  themselves. 
None  of  the  saints  that  are  left  will  make  trouble." 

"  No,  with  Enraghty  out  of  the  way  and  that  kind 
old  fool  Kingston,  with  his  example  of  mistaken  right 
eousness,  we  can  get  along  fairly  enough  with  the  old 
dispensation.  Well,  Abel,"  he  called  to  Reverdy,  who 
was  lounging  about  in  the  empty  space  which  the  crowd 
had  left,  unwilling  to  leave  the  scene  of  so  much  ex 
citement  for  the  dull  labors  of  the  field,  "  you  thought 
you  would  n't  go  to  see  the  New  Jerusalem  come  down, 
after  all.  How 's  the  Good  Old  Man  goin'  to  work  it 
without  you  ?  " 

202 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  He 's  had  to  work  things  'thout  me  for  a  good 
while  now,  Squire,"  Abel  returned,  not  with  perfect 
satisfaction  in  the  part  assigned  him  by  the  irony  of  the 
Squire.  "  Ever  sence  that  night  at  Mr.  Enraghty's, 
I  been  putty  much  done  with  him.  A  god  that 
could  n't  help  hisself  in  a  little  trouble  like  that,  he  ain't 
no  god  for  me." 

"  Oh,  I  remember.  But  what  about  Sally  ?  She 
did  n't  go  with  the  Little  Flock,  either?  " 

"  I  reckon  me  'n'  Sally  thinks  putty  much  alike  about 
the  Little  Flock/'  Abel  said  with  as  much  hauteur  as 
a  man  in  his  bare  feet  could  command.  "  We  hain't 
either  of  us  got  any  use  for  Little  Flocks,  any  more." 

"  Well,  I  'm  glad  of  it.  But  I  thought  she  might 
have  come  to  see  them  off." 

Abel  relented.  "  Sally  ain't  very  well,  this  mornin'. 
Up  all  night  with  the  toothache."  Redfield  had  turned 
from  them,  and  Abel  now  remarked,  "  I  was  wonder  in' 
whether  I  couldn't  borry  a  little  coffee  from  Mis' 
Braile  for  breakfast ;  I  been  so  took  up  'ith  all  these 
goun's  on  that  I  hain't  had  no  time  to  go  to  the  store." 

"  Why,  certainly,"  the  Squire  replied,  "  and  you  'd 
better  come  and  have  breakfast  with  us  on  the  way 
home.  I  came  down  without  mine  so  as  to  see  the 
Ancient  of  Days  off,  and  make  sure  of  his  going." 

"  Pshaw,  Squire,  it  don't  seem  quite  right  to  have 
you  usin'  them  old  Bible  sayun's  so  common  like." 

"  Well,  Abel,  perhaps  it  is  n't  quite  the  thing.  But 
you  must  make  allowance  for  my  being  in  such  high 

203 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

spirits.  I  have  n't  breathed  so  free  in  a  coon's  age. 
I  would  like  to  have  stowed  Dylks  for  a  little  while  in 
the  loft  with  ours!  But  Mis'  Braile  would  n't  hear  of 
it.  Well,  we  've  seen  the  last  of  him,  I  hope.  And 
now  we  're  hearing  the  last  of  him."  He  halted  Abel 
in  their  walk,  at  a  rise  in  the  ground  where  they  caught 
the  sound  of  the  hymn  which  the  Little  Flock,  follow 
ing  Dylks  for  a  certain  way,  were  singing.  "  '  Sounds 
weel  at  a  distance/  as  the  Scotchman  said  of  the  bag 
pipes.  And  the  farther  the  better.  I  don't  believe 
I  should  care  if  I  never  heard  that  tune  again."  They 
reached  Braile's  cabin,  and  he  said,  "  Well,  now  come 
in  and  have  something  to  stay  your  stomach  while 
you  're  waiting  for  Sally  to  make  the  coffee  you  're 
going  to  borrow." 

"  No,  I  reckon  not,  Squire,"  Abel  loyally  held  out. 

Ef  Well,  then,  come  in  and  get  the  coffee,  anyhow." 

"  I  reckon  that 's  a  good  idea,  Squire,"  Abel  as 
sented  with  a  laugh  for  the  joke  at  his  cost.  As  they 
mounted  the  steps,  Braile  stopped  him  at  the  sound  of 
voices  in  the  kitchen. 

A  prevalent  voice  was  the  voice  of  Sally.  "  Well, 
just  one  sup  more,  Mis'  Braile.  You  do  make  the 
best  coffee !  I  believe  in  my  heart  that  it 's  took  my 
toothache  all  away  a'  ready,  and  I  suppose  poor  Abel  '11 
be  goun'  up  home  with  some  of  that  miser'ble  stuff  he 
gits  at  the  store,  and  expectun'  to  find  me  there  in  bed 
yit.  I  thought  I  'd  jest  slip  down,  and  borry  a  little 
o'  your'n  to  surprise  him  with,  but  when  I  smelt  it,  I 

204 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

jest  could  n't  hold  out.  I  don't  suppose  but  what  he 
stayed  to  see  the  Little  Flock  off,  anyway,  and  you 
say  Squire  Braile  went.  Well,  I  reckon  he  had  to,  jus 
tice  o'  the  peace,  that  way.  I  'm  thankful  the  Good 
Old  Man 's  gone,  for  one,  and  I  don't  never  want  to 
see  hide  or  hair  of  him  ag'in  in  Leatherwood.  There  's 
such  a  thing  as  gittun'  enough  of  a  thing,  and  I  've  got 
enough  of  strange  gods  for  one  while." 

Murmurs  of  reply  came  from  Mrs.  Braile  at  times, 
but  Sally  mainly  kept  the  word. 

"  Well,  and  what  do  you  think  of  Nancy  Billun's 
lettun'  her  Joey  go  off  with  the  Little  Flock,  her  talkun' 
the  way  she  always  done  about  'em?  Of  course  he  's 
safe  with  Mr.  Kingston  and  Benny,  and  they  '11  bring 
him  back  all  right,  but  don't  you  think  she  'd  be  afeared 
'tit  he  might  be  took  up  in  the  New  Jerusalem  when  it 
riz  ag'in?  " 

"  Abel,"  the  Squire  said,  "  I  don't  like  this.  We 
seem  to  be  listening.  I  don't  believe  Sally  will  like 
our  overhearing  her ;  and  we  ought  to  warn  her.  It 's 
no  use  your  stamping  your  bare  feet,  for  they  would  n't 
make  any  noise.  I  '11  rap  my  stick  on  the  floor."  He 
also  called  out,  "  Hello,  the  house!  "  and  Sally  herself 
came  to  the  kitchen  door.  She  burst  into  her  large 
laugh.  "  Well,  I  declare  to  goodness,  if  it  ain't  Abel 
and  the  Squire!  Well,  if  this  ain't  the  best  joke  on 
me!  Did  you  see  Dylks  off,  Squire  Braile?  And  a 
good  riddance  to  bad  rubbage,  /  say." 


205 


XXI 

HUGHEY  BLAKE,  long-haired,  barefooted  and 
freckled,  hung  about  the  door  of  Nancy's  cabin, 
where  she  sat  with  her  little  girl  playing  in  the  weedy 
turf  at  her  foot.  The  late  October  weather  was  some 
times  hot  at  noon,  but  the  evenings  were  cool  and 
the  evening  air  was  sweet  with  the  scent  of  the  ripened 
corn,  and  the  faint  odor  of  the  fallen  leaves.  The 
grasshoppers  still  hissed ;  at  moments  the  crickets  within 
and  without  the  cabin  creaked  plaintively. 

"  I  just  come/*  Hughey  said,  "  to  see  if  you  thought 
she  would  n't  go  to  the  Temple  with  me,  to-night.  The 
Flock  lets  us  have  our  turn  reg'lar  now,  and  we  're 
goin'  to  have  Thursday  evenin'  meetin'  like  we  used 
to."  In  a  discouraging  silence  from  Nancy,  he  went 
on,  "  I  'm  just  on  my  way  home,  now,  and  I  '11  git 
my  shoes  there ;  and  I  don't  expect  to  wear  this  hickory 
shirt,  and  no  coat  — " 

"  Yes,  I  know,  Hughey,  but  I  don't  believe  it  '11  be 
any  use.  You  can  try;  but  I  don't  believe  it  will.  I 
reckon  you  'd  find  out  that  she  9s  goin'  with  Jim  Red- 
field,  if  anybody.  She 's  been  off  with  him  'most  the 
whole  afternoon,  gatherin'  pawpaws  —  he  knows  the 
best  places ;  I  should  think  they  could  have  got  all  the 
pawpaws  in  Leatherwood  by  this  time.  You  know 

206 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

I  've  always  liked  you,  Hughey,  and  so  has  her  father, 
and  you  've  played  together  ever  since  you  was  babies, 
and  you  've  always  been  her  beau  from  childern  up. 
There  ain't  a  person  in  Leatherwood  that  don't  respect 
you  and  feel  to  think  that  any  girl  might  be  glad  to 
get  you;  but  I  'm  afraid  it 's  just  your  cleverness,  and 
bein'  so  gentle  like  — " 

"  Do  you  'spose,  Nancy,"  the  young  man  faltered 
disconsolately,  "  it 's  had  anything  to  do  with  my  not 
gettin'  her  that  hair?  I  could  'a'  done  it  as  easy  as 
Jim  Redfield;  but  to  tear  it  right  out  of  his  head,  that 
way,  I  could  n't ;  it  went  ag'in  my  stommick." 

"  I  don't  believe  it 's  that,  Hughey.  If  you  must 
know,  I  believe  it 's  just  Jim  Redfield  himself.  He  's 
bewitched  her  and  she  's  got  to  be  bewitched  by  some 
body;  if  it  ain't  one  it 's  another;  it  was  him  then,  and 
it 's  Jim,  now." 

"  I  see,"  the  young  man  assented  sadly. 

"  She  ain't  good  enough  for  you,  that 's  the  truth, 
Hughey,  though  I  say  it,  her  own  kith  and  kin.  I  can't 
make  you  understand,  I  know ;  but  she  's  got  to  have 
somebody  that  she  can  feel  the  power  of." 

"  I  'd  do  anything  for  her,  Nancy." 

"  That 's  just  it !  She  don't  want  that  kind  of  lovin', 
as  you  may  call  it.  I  don't  believe  my  brother  's  a 
very  easy  man  to  turn,  but  Jane  has  always  done  as 
she  pleased  with  him ;  he  's  been  like  clay  in  the  hands 
of  the  potter  with  her.  Many  another  girl  would  have 
been  broken  into  bits  before  now;  but  she's  just  as 

207 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

tough  as  so  much  hickory.  I  don't  say  but  what 
she 's  a  good  girl ;  there  ain't  a  better  in  Leatherwood, 
or  anywheres.  She  's  as  true  as  a  die,  and  tender  as 
anything  in  sickness,  and  'd  lay  down  and  die  where 
she  saw  her  duty,  and  'd  work  till  she  dropped  if  need 
be;  but,  no,  she  ain't  one  that  wants  softness  in  her 
friends.  Well,  she  won't  git  any  too  much  of  it  in 
Jim  Redfield.  They  're  of  a  piece,  and  she  may  find 
out  that  she  's  made  a  mistake,  after  all." 

"  Has  she  —  she  hain't  promised  to  marry  him 
yit?" 

"  No,  I  don't  say  that.  But  ever  since  that  night  at 
the  Temple  he  's  been  round  after  her.  He 's  been 
here,  and  he  's  been  at  her  father's,  and  she  can't  go 
down  to  the  Corners  for  anything  but  what  he  comes 
home  helpin'  her  to  bring  it.  You  seen  yourself,  how 
he  always  gets  her  to  come  home  from  meetin'." 

''  Yes,"  Hughey  assented  forlornly.  "  I  'm  always 
too  late  at  the  door ;  he  's  with  "her  before  a  body  can 
git  the  words  out." 

"  Well,  that 's  it.  I  don't  say  she  ain't  a  good  girl, 
one  of  the  very  best,  but  she  's  hard,  hard,  hard ;  and 
I  don't  see  what 's  ever  to  break  her." 

The  girl's  voice  came  from  round  the  cabin,  calling, 
"'  Honey,  honey,  honey !  "  and  the  little  one  started 
from  her  play  at  her  mother's  feet,  and  ran  toward 
the  voice,  which  Jane  now  brought  with  her  at  the 
corner,  and  chuckling,  and  jug-jugging,  birdlike,  for 
joy,  threw  herself  at  Jane's  knees. 

208 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  See  what  I  brought  you,  honey.  It 's  good  and 
ripe,  but  it  ain't  half  as  good  as  my  honey,  honey, 
honey !  "  She  put  the  pawpaw  into  the  child's  hands 
and  mumbled  her,  with  kisses  of  her  eyes,  cheeks,  hair, 
and  neck.  "  Oh,  I  could  eat  you,  eat  you !  " 

She  must  have  seen  the  young  fellow  waiting  for  her 
notice,  but  Nancy  had  to  say,  "  Here  's  Hughey,  Jane," 
before  she  spoke  to  him. 

"  Oh!  Hughey/'  she  said,  not  unkindly,  but  as  if  he 
did  not  matter. 

He  stood  awkward  and  Nancy  judged  it  best  for  all 
the  reasons  to  add,  "  Hughey  wants  you  to  go  to  the 
Temple  with  him  to-night,"  and  the  young  fellow 
smiled  gratefully  if  not  hopefully  at  her. 

The  girl  stiffened  herself  to  her  full  height  from  the 
child  she  was  stooping  over.  She  haughtily  mounted 
the  steps  beside  Nancy,  and  without  other  recognition 
of  Hughey  in  the  matter  she  said,  "  I  've  got  company/' 
and  disappeared  into  the  cabin. 

"Well,  Hughey?"  Nancy  pityingly  questioned. 

"  No,  no,  Nancy,"  he  replied  with  a  manful  struggle 
for  manfulness,  "I  —  I  —  It 's  meant,  I  reckon,"  and 
slunk  away  from  the  girl's  brutality  as  if  it  were  his 
own  shame. 

Nancy  picked  up  her  little  one,  and  followed  indoors. 

"  Don't  you  talk  to  me,  Aunt  Nancy!  "  the  girl  cried 
at  her.  "  What  does  he  keep  askin'  me  for?  " 

"  He  won't  ask  you  any  more,  Jane,"  the  woman 
quietly  returned. 

209 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

They  joined  in  putting  the  little  one  to  bed.  Then, 
without  more  words,  Jane  kissed  the  child,  and  came 
back  to  kiss  her  again  when  she  had  got  to  the  door. 
"  Aunt  Nancy,  I  hate  you,"  she  said  as  she  went  out  and 
left  the  woman  alone. 

Ever  since  Joey  went  away  with  the  believers  to 
see  the  New  Jerusalem  come  down  in  Philadelphia, 
Jane  had  been  sleeping  at  her  father's  cabin  in  resent 
ful  duty  to  his  years  and  solitude.  She  got  him  his 
breakfast  and  left  it  for  him  before  she  went  to  take 
her  own  with  Nancy,  and  she  had  his  dinner  and  sup 
per  ready  for  his  return  from  the  field,  but  she  did  not 
eat  with  him,  and  he  was  abed  before  she  came  home 
at  night. 

Joey  had  been  gone  nearly  a  month,  and  no  word  had 
come  back  from  any  of  the  Little  Flock  who  went  with 
Dylks.  It  was  not  the  day  of  letters  by  mail;  if  some 
of  the  pilgrims  had  sent  messages  by  the  wagoners  re 
turning  from  their  trips  Over  the  Mountains,  they  had 
not  reached  the  families  left  behind,  and  no  angel-borne 
tidings  came  to  testify  of  the  wonder  at  Philadelphia. 
Those  left  behind  waited  in  patience  rather  than  anxi 
ety;  where  life  was  often  hard,  people  did  not  borrow 
trouble  and  add  that  needless  debt  to  their  load  of  daily 
cares.  Nancy  said  to  others  that  she  did  not  know 
what  to  think,  and  others  said  the  same  to  her,  and 
they  got  what  comfort  they  could  out  of  that. 

Now  she  did  not  light  the  little  rag-lamp  which  she 

210 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

and  Jane  sometimes  sat  by  with  their  belated  sewing 
or  darning  if  they  had  not  kept  the  hearth-fire  burning. 
She  went  to  bed  in  the  dark,  and  slept  with  the  work- 
weariness  which  keeps  the  heart-heavy  from  waking. 
She  had  work  in  her  tobacco  patch  to  do,  as  well  as 
in  the  house,  where  Jane  helped  her;  she  would  not 
let  the  girl  help  her  get  the  logs  and  brush  together  on 
the  clearing  which  Laban  had  begun  burning  to  enrich 
the  soil  for  the  planting  of  the  next  year's  crop  with 
the  ashes. 

She  must  have  slept  long  hours  when  she  heard  the 
sound  of  a  cry  from  the  dark  without. 

"  Mother !  Mother !  Oh,  mother !  "  it  came  nearer 
and  nearer,  till  it  beat  with  the  sound  of  a  fist  on  the 
cabin  door.  In  the  piecing  out  of  the  instant  dream 
which  she  started  from,  she  thought  as  that  night  when 
Dylks  called  her,  that  it  must  be  Laban ;  he  sometimes 
called  her  mother  after  the  baby  came,  and  now  she 
called  back,  "Laban!  Laban!"  but  the  voice  came 
again,  "  It  ain't  father ;  it 's  me,  mother ;  it 's  Joey !  " 

"  Oh,  dear  heart !  "  she  joyfully  lamented,  and  flung 
herself  from  her  bed,  and  reeled  still  drunk  with  slum 
ber,  and  pulled  up  the  latch,  and  flung  open  the  door, 
and  caught  her  boy  to  her  breast. 

"  Oh,  mother ! "  he  said,  laughing  and  crying. 
"I'm  so  hungry!" 

"  To  be  sure  you  're  hungry,  child ;  and  I  '11  have  you 
your  supper  in  half  a  minute,  as  soon  as  I  can  rake  the 

211 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

fire  open.  Lay  down  on  mother's  bed  there,  and  rest 
while  I  'm  gettin'  ready  for  you.  The  baby  won't 
wake,  and  I  don't  care  if  she  does." 

"  I  s'pose  she  's  grown  a  good  deal.  But  I  am  tired," 
the  boy  said,  stretching  himself  out.  "  Me  'n'  Benny 
run  all  the  way  as  soon  as  we  come  in  sight  of  the 
crick,  and  him  'n'  Mis'  Kingston  wanted  me  to  stay  all 
night,  but  I  would  n't.  I  wanted  to  see  you  so  much, 
mother." 

"  Did  Mr.  Kingston  come  back  with  you  ?  Or,  don't 
tell  me  anything ;  don't  speak,  till  you  've  had  something 
to  eat." 

"  I  woon't,  mother,"  the  boy  promised,  and  then  he 
said,  "  But  you  ought  to  see  Philadelphy,  mother.  It 's 
twenty  times  as  big  as  Wheeling,  Benny  says,  and  all 
red  brick  houses  and  white  marble  steps."  He  was 
sitting  up,  and  talking  now;  his  mother  flew  about  in 
the  lank  linsey-woolsey  dress  she  had  thrown  over  her 
nightgown  in  some  unrealized  interval  of  her  labors 
and  had  got  the  skillet  of  bacon  hissing  over  the  coals. 

"  And  to  think,"  she  bleated  in  self-reproach,  "  fhat 
I  '11  have  to  give  you  rye  coffee !  You  know,  Joey 
dear,  there  hain't  very  much  cash  about  this  house,  and 
the  store  won't  take  truck  for  coffee.  But  with  good 
cream  in  it,  the  rye  tastes  'most  as  good.  Set  up  to  the 
table,  now,"  she  bade  him,  when  she  had  put  the  rye 
coffee  with  the  bacon  and  some  warmed-up  pone  on 
the  leaf  lifted  from  the  wall. 

She  let  the  boy  silently  glut  himself  till  he  glanced 
212 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

round  between  mouth  fuls  and  said,  "  It  all  looks  so 
funny  and  little,  in  here,  after  Philadelphy." 

Then  she  said,  "  But  you  don't  say  anything  about 
the. New  Jerusalem.  Did  n't  it  come  down,  after  all  ?  " 
She  smiled,  but  sadly  rather  than  gladly  in  her  skepti 
cism. 

"  No,  mother,"  the  boy  answered  solemnly.  Then 
after  a  moment  he  said,  "  I  got  something  to  tell  you, 
mother.  But  I  don't  know  whether  I  hadn't  better 
wait  till  morning." 

"  It 's  most  morning,  now,  Joey,  I  reckon,  if  it  ain't 
already.  That 's  the  twilight  comin'  in  at  the  door. 
If  you  would  n't  rather  get  your  sleep  first  — " 

"  No,  I  can't  sleep  till  I  tell  you,  now.  It 's  about 
the  Good  Old  Man." 

"  Did  he  —  did  he  go  up  ?  "  she  asked  fearfully. 

"  No,  mother,  he  did  n't.  Some  of  them  say  he  was 
took  up,  but,  mother,  /  believe  he  was  drownded ! " 


213 


XXII 

;T^VROWNDED?"  the  boy's  mother  echoed. 
i  J  "  What  do  you  mean,  Joey  ?  What  makes  you 
believe  he  was  drownded  ?  " 

"  I  seen  him." 

"Seen  him?" 

"  In  the  water.  We  was  all  walkin'  along  the  river 
bank,  and  some  o'  the  Flock  got  to  complainin'  because 
he  had  n't  fetched  the  New  Jerusalem  down  yit,  and 
wantin'  to  know  when  he  was  goin'  to  do  it,  and  sayin' 
this  was  Philadelphy,  and  why  did  n't  he ;  and  Mr. 
Kingston  he  was  tryin'  to  pacify  'em,  and  Mr.  En- 
raghty  he  scolded  'em,  and  told  'em  to  hesh  up,  or 
they'd  be  in  danger  of  hell-fire;  but  they  didn't,  and 
the  Good  Old  Man  he  begun  to  cry.  It  was  awful, 
mother." 

"  Go  on,  Joey.     Don't  stop." 

"  Well,  he  'd  been  prayin'  a  good  deal,  off  and  on, 
and  actin'  like  he  was  n't  in  his  right  senses,  some 
times,  talkin'  to  hisself,  and  singin'  his  hymn  —  that 
one,  you  know — " 

"  Never  mind,  Joey  dear,"  his  mother  said,  "  keep 
on." 

"  And  all  at  once,  he  up  and  says,  '  If  I  want  to,  I 
can  turn  this  river  into  a  river  of  gold,'  and  one  o' 

214 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

the  Flock,  about  the  worst  one,  he  hollers  back,  '  Well, 
why  don't  you  do  it,  then  ? '  and  Mr.  Enraghty  —  well, 
they  call  him  Saint  Paul,  you  know  —  he  told  him  to 
shut  his  mouth ;  and  they  got  to  jawin',  and  I  heard  a 
rattlin'  of  gravel,  like  it  was  slippin'  down  the  bank, 
and  then  there  was  the  Good  Old  Man  in  the  water, 
hollerin'  for  help,  and  his  hat  off,  floatin'  down  stream, 
and  his  hair  all  over  his  shoulders.  And  before  I 
knowed  what  to  think,  he  sunk,  and  when  he  come 
up,  I  was  there  in  the  water  puttin'  out  for  him." 

"  Yes,  Joey  — " 

"  I  can't  remember  how  I  got  there ;  must  V  jumped 
in  without  thinkin' ;  he  'd  been  so  good  to  me,  all  along, 
and  used  to  come  to  me  in  the  nighttime  when  he 
'sposed  I  was  asleep,  and  kiss  me;  and  cry —  But 
I  'd  V  done  it  for  anybody,  anyway,  mother." 

"Yes.     Go—" 

"  Some  of  'em  was  takin'  their  shoes  and  coats  off 
to  jump  in,  and  some  jest  standin'  still,  and  hollerin' 
to  me  not  to  let  him  ketch  holt  o'  me,  or  he  'd  pull  me 
under.  But  I  knowed  he  couldn't  do  that,  becuz  I 
could  ketch  him  by  one  arm,  and  hold  him  off  —  me  'n' 
Benny 's  practised  it  in  the  crick  —  and  I  swum  up  to 
him;  and  he  went  down  ag'in,  and  when  he  come  up 
ag'in,  his  face  was  all  soakin'  wet  like  he  'd  been  cryin' 
under  the  water,  and  he  says,  kind  o'  bubblin' — like 
this,"  the  boy  made  the  sound.  "  He  says,  '  Oh,  my 
son,  God  help  —  bub-ub  —  bless  you ! '  and  then  he 
went  down,  and  I  swum  round  and  round,  expectin' 

215 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

he  'd  come  up  somewheres ;  but  he  did  n't  come  up  no 
more.     It  was  awful,  mother,  becuz  that  did  n't  seem 
to  be  the  end  of  it;  and  it  was.     Just  did  n't  come  up 
no  more.     They  jawed  some,  before  they  got  over 
»  the  mountains,"  the  boy  said  reminiscently.     "  They 
I  had  n't  brung  much  money ;  even  Mr.  Kingston  had  n't, 
'  becuz  they  expected  the  Good  Old  Man  to  work  mira 
cles,  and  make  silver  and  gold  money  out  of  red  cents, 
I   like  he  said  he  would.     All  the  nights  we  slep'  out  o' 
doors,  and  sometimes  we  had  to  ast  for  victuals;  but 
the  Good  Old  Man  he  always  found  places  to  sleep, 
nice  caves  in  the  banks  and  holler  trees,  and  wherever 
he  ast  for  victuals  they  give  plenty.     And  Mr.  En- 
raghty  he  said  it  was  a  miracle  if  he  always  knowed 
the  best  places  to  sleep,  and  the  kindest  women  to  ast 
for  victuals.     Do  you  believe  it  was,  mother?" 

Nancy  said,  after  an  effort  for  her  voice,  "  He  might 
have  been  there  before." 

"Well,  that's  so;  but  none  of  'em  thunk  o'  that. 
And  what  Mr.  Enraghty  said  stopped  the  jawin'  at 
the  time.  It  all  begun  ag'in,  worse  than  ever  when  we 
got  almost  to  Philadelphy;  and  he  said  some  of  'em 
must  take  the  south  fork  of  the  road  with  Saint  Paul 
and  keep  on  till  they  saw  a  big  light  over  Philadelphy, 
where  the  New  Jerusalem  was  swellin'  up,  and  the  rest 
would  meet  'em  there  with  him  and  Saint  Peter. 
They  said,  '  Why  could  n't  we  all  go  together  ?  '  And 
it  was  pretty  soon  after  that  that  he  slipped  into  the 
river.  Stumbled  on  a  round  stone,  I  reckon." 

216 


"And  he  went  down  ag  'in,  and  when  he  come  up  ag  'in,  his  face 
was  all  soakin'  wet,  like  he  'd  been  crying  under  the  water" 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

The  woman  sat  slowly  smoothing  the  handle  of  the 
coffee-pot  up  and  down,  and  staring  at  the  boy;  but 
she  did  not  speak. 

"  Benny  jumped  in  by  that  time,  but  it  was  n't  any 
use.  Oh!  I  seen  the  ocean,  mother!  Mr.  Kingston 
took  me  'n'  Benny  down  on  a  boat ;  and  I  seen  a  stuffed 
elephant  in  a  show,  or  a  museum,  they  called  it.  Benny 
said  it  was  just  like  the  real  one  in  the  circus  at  Wheel 
ing.  Mother,  do  you  believe  he  throwed  hisself 
in?" 

''Who,  Joey?"  she  faintly  asked. 

"  Why,  the  Good  Old  Man.  That 's  what  some  of 
'em  said,  them  that  was  disappointed  about  the  New 
Jerusalem.  But  some  said  he  did  fetch  it  down;  and 
they  seen  it,  with  the  black  horses  and  silver  gates 
and  velvet  streets,  and  everything  just  the  way  he 
promised.  And  the  others  said  he  'd  fooled  'em,  or 
else  they  was  just  lyin'.  And  they  said  he  'd  got  to 
the  end  of  his  string;  and  that  was  why  he  throwed 
himself  in,  and  when  he  got  in,  he  was  scared  of 
drowndin'  and  that  was  why  he  hollered  for  help. 
But  I  believe  he  just  slipped  in.  Don't  you,  mother?  " 

"  Yes,  Joey." 

"  Mother,  I  don't  believe  the  Good  Old  Man  had  a 
grea'  deal  of  courage.  All  the  way  Over  the  Moun 
tains,  he  'd  seem  to  scare  at  any  little  noise,  even  in 
broad  daylight.  Oncet,  when  we  was  goin'  along 
through  the  woods,  a  pig  jumped  out  of  some  hazel- 
nut  bushes,  and  scared  him  so  that  he  yelled  and  fell 

219 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

down  in  a  fit,  and  they  was  a  good  while  fetchin'  him 
to.  Do  you  think  he  was  God,  mother  ?  " 

"  No,  Joey." 

"  Well,  that 's  what  I  think,  too.  If  he  was  God, 
he  wouldn't  been  afeared,  would  he?  And  in  the 
night  sometimes  he'd  come  and  git  me  to  come  and 
lay  by  him  where  he  could  put  his  arm  round  my  neck, 
and  feel  me,  like  as  if  he  wanted  comp'ny.  Well, 
now,  that  was  n't  much  like  God,  was  it  ?  And  when 
he  thought  I  was  asleep,  I  could  hear  him  prayin',  '  O 
merciful  Savior! '  and  things  like  that;  and  if  he  was 
God,  who  could  he  pray  to?  It  was  n't  sense,  was  it? 
Well,  I  just  believe  he  fell  in,  and  he  was  afeared  he 
was  drowndin'  and  that 's  why  he  hollered  out.  Don't 
you,  mother?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do,  Joey." 

"  And  you  think  I  done  right,  don't  you,  to  try  to 
help  him,  even  if  it  was  some  resk?  " 

"  Oh,  yes." 

"  I  knowed  it  was  some  resk,  but  I  did  n't  believe 
it  was  much,  and  I  kind  of  thought  you'd  want  me 
to." 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes,"  his  mother  said.  "  You  did  right, 
Joey.  And  you're  a  good  boy,  and —  Joey  dear," 
—  and  she  rose  from  the  bench  where  she  was  sitting 
with  him  — "  I  believe  I  '11  go  and  lay  down  on  the 
bed  a  minute.  Bein'  up,  so  — " 

"  Why,  yes,  mother !  You  lay  down  and  I  '11  clear 
up  the  breakfast,  or  supper  if  it 's  it.  It  '11  be  like 

220 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

old  times,"  he  said  in  the  pride  of  his  long  absence 
from  home.  His  mother  lay  down  on  the  bed  with 
her  face  to  the  wall,  and  he  went  very  quietly  about 
his  work,  so  as  not  to  wake  the  baby.  But  after  a 
moment  he  went  to  his  mother,  and  whispered  hoarsely, 
"  You  don't  suppose  I  could  go  and  see  Benny,  a  min 
ute,  after  I  've  got  done?  It 's  'most  broad  day,  and 
I  know  he  '11  be  up,  too." 

"  Yes,  go,"  she  said,  without  turning  her  face  to 
him. 

He  kept  tiptoeing  about,  and  when  he  had  finished, 
he  stood  waiting  to  be  sure  whether  she  was  sleeping 
before  he  opened  the  door.  Now  she  turned  her  face, 
and  spoke:  "Joey?" 

"  Yes,  mother?  "  he  whispered  back,  and  ran  to  her 
softly,  in  his  bare  feet. 

"  Did  you  get  to  like  him  any  better?  " 

He  seemed  not  to  take  her  question  as  anything 
strange,  or  to  be  in  doubt  of  whom  she  meant. 

"  Why,  there  in  the  water,  at  the  very  last,  when 
he  kep'  goin'  down,  I  liked  him.  Yes,  I  must  have. 
But  all  along,  I  felt  more  like  sorry  for  him.  He 
seemed  so  miser'ble,  all  the  time,  and  so  —  well  — 
scared." 

"  Yes."  She  had  got  the  boy's  hand,  and  without 
turning  her  body  with  her  face  she  held  his  hand  in 
hers  closely  under  her  arm.  "  Joey,  I  told  you  he 
was  a  wicked  man.  I  can't  tell  you  any  different  now. 
But  I  'm  glad  you  was  sorry  for  him.  I  am  sorry 

221 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

too.     Joey  —  he  was  your  father."     She  pressed  his 
hand  harder. 

"  Goodness! "  he  said,  but  he  did  not  suffer  himself 
to  say  more. 

"  He  went  away  and  left  me  when  you  was  a  little 
baby,  and  he  never  come  back  till  he  come  back  here. 
I  never  had  any  word  from  him.  For  all  I  could  tell 
he  was  dead.  I  never  wanted  him  to  be  dead,"  she 
defended  herself  to  herself  in  something  above  the 
intelligence  of  the  boy.  "  I  married  Laban,  who 's 
been  more  of  a  father  to  you  than  what  he  was." 

"Oh,  yes,  mother!" 

"When  your  real  father  come  here,  I  made  your 
true  father  go  away."  Now  she  turned  and  faced  her 
son,  keeping  his  hand  tighter  in  hers.  "  Joey,  I  want 
to  have  you  go  and  tell  him  to  come  back." 

"Right  away,  Mother?" 

f<  Why,  yes  ?  "  she  said  with  question  in  her  answer. 

"  I  thought  maybe  you  'd  let  me  see  Benny,  first," 
he  suggested  a  little  wistfully. 

She  almost  laughed.  "  You  dear  boy !  Go  and 
see  Benny  on  your  way.  Take  him  with  you,  if  his 
father  will  let  him  go.  You  're  both  such  great 
travelers.  Your  father's  at  the  Wilkinses'  yit,  I 
reckon;  they  hain't  finished  with  their  cider,  I  don't 
believe.  Go,  now !  " 

The  boy  had  been  poising  as  if  on  winged  feet,  and 
now  he  flew.  He  came  back  to  say  at  the  door,  "  I 

222 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD      , 

don't  believe  I  '11  want  any  breakfast,  mother ;  we  had 
such  a  late  supper." 

It  was  a  thoughtful  suggestion,  and  she  said  "  No," 
but  before  her  answer  came  he  had  flown  again. 

The  baby  woke,  and  she  cooed  to  it,  and  she  went 
about  the  one  room  of  the  little  cabin  trying  to  put  it 
more  in  order  than  before.  Some  pieces  of  the  moss 
in  the  chinking  of  the  round  logs  near  the  chimney 
seemed  loose,  and  she  packed  them  tighter.  As  she 
worked  she  sang.  She  sang  a  hymn,  but  it  was  a 
hymn  of  thanksgiving. 

The  doorway  darkened,  and  she  turned  to  see  the 
figure  of  her  brother  black  in  the  light. 

"  I  see,  you  've  heard  the  news,"  he  said  grimly. 
"  I  was  afraid  I  might  find  you  making  a  show  of 
mourning.  7  don't  pretend  to  any.  I  have  n't  had 
such  a  load  off  me  since  that  rascal  first  come  back." 

She  answered  resentfully,  "  What  makes  you  so 
glad,  David?  He  didn't  come  back  to  make  you 
drive  your  husband  away !  " 

"  I  was  always  afraid  he  might  make  me  kill  him. 
He  tried  hard  enough,  and  sometimes  I  thought  he 
might.  But  blessed  be  the  Lord,  he  's  dead.  They  're 
holding  a  funeral  for  him  in  the  Temple.  The  news 
is  all  through  the  Creek.  I  suppose  you  know  how 
Jane  has  fixed  it  up  with  James  Redfield.  I  feel  to 
be  sorry  for  Hughey  Blake;  but  he  never  could  have 
mastered  her.  She's  got  an  awful  will,  Jane  has. 

223 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

But  James  has  got  an  awful  will  too,  as  strong  as 
Jane  — " 

Nancy  cut  him  short :  "  David,  I  don't  care  any 
thing  about  Jane  —  now." 

"No,"  he  assented.  "Where's  Joey?"  he  asked, 
leaning  inward  with  his  hands  resting  on  either  jamb 
of  the  door. 

"  Gone  for  Laban." 

"Well,"  David  said,  with  something  like  grudge. 
"  You  hain't  lost  much  time.  But  I  don't  know  as  I 
blame  you,"  he  relented. 

"  I  would  n't  care  if  you  did,  David,"  she  answered. 


224 


XXIII 

LATE  in  the  long  twilight  of  the  early  spring  day 
a  stranger  who  was  traveling  in  the  old  fashion 
on  horseback,  with  his  legs  swathed  in  green  baize 
against  the  mud  of  the  streaming  roads,  and  with  his 
spattered  saddle-bags  hung  over  the  pommel  before 
him,  was  riding  into  Leatherwood.  He  paused  in  a 
puddle  of  the  lane  that  left  the  turnpike  not  far  off, 
and  curved  between  the  new-plowed  fields  in  front  of  a 
double  log  cabin,  which  had  the  air  of  being  one  of 
the  best  habitations  of  its  time  though  its  time  was 
long  past;  the  logs  it  was  built  of  were  squared;  the 
chimneys  at  either  end  were  of  stone  masonry  instead 
of  notched  sticks  laid  in  clay.  Against  the  wall  of  the 
porch  between  the  two  rooms  of  the  cabin  an  old  man 
sat  tilted  back  in  his  chair,  smoking  a  pipe  which  he 
took  from  his  mouth  at  sight  of  the  stranger's  arrest. 

"  Can  you  tell  me,  please,  which  is  my  way  to  the 
tavern,  or  some  place  where  I  can  find  a  night's  lodg- 
ing?" 

The  old  man  dropped  his  chair  forward,  and  got 
somewhat  painfully  out  of  it  to  toddle  to  the  edge  of 
his  porch.  "  Why,  there  is  n't  a  tavern,  rightly  speak 
ing,  in  Leatherwood,  now,  though  for  the  backwoods 

225 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

we  had  a  very  passable  one,  once.  I  wish,"  he  said 
after  a  moment,  "  that  we  could  offer  you  a  lodging 
here;  but  if  you'll  light  and  throw  your  horse's  rein 
over  the  peg  in  this  post,  I  would  be  pleased  to  have 
you  stay  to  supper  with  us.  My  wife  is  just  getting 
it" 

Why,  thank  you,  thank  you,"  the  stranger  said. 
"  I  must  n't  think  of  troubling  you.  I  dare  say  I  can 
get  something  to  eat  at  your  tavern.  I  've  often  been 
over  night  in  worse  places,  no  doubt.  I  've  been 
traveling  through  your  State,  and  I  've  turned  a  little 
out  of  my  way  to  stop  at  Leatherwood,  because  I  've 
been  interested  in  a  peculiar  incident  of  your  local  his 
tory." 

The  two  men  perceived  from  something  in  each 
other's  parlance,  though  one  spoke  with  the  neat  accent 
of  the  countries  beyond  the  Alleghanies,  and  the  other 
with  the  soft  slurring  Ohio  River  utterance,  that  they 
were  in  the  presence  of  men  different  by  thinking  if 
not  by  learning  from  most  men  in  the  belated  region 
of  a  new  country. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  the  old  man  said  with  instant  intelli 
gence,  "  the  Leatherwood  God." 

"  Yes,"  the  other  eagerly  assented.  "  I  was  told, 
at  your  county  seat,  that  I  could  learn  all  about  it  if 
I  asked  for  Squire  Braile,  here." 

"  I  am  Matthew  Braile,"  the  old  man  said  with  dig 
nity,  and  the  stranger  returned  with  a  certain  apology 
in  his  laugh: 

226 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  must  confess  that  I  suspected  as  much,  and  I  'm 
ashamed  not  to  have  frankly  asked  at  once." 

"  Better  'light/' —  the  Squire  condoned  whatever 
offense  there  might  have  been  in  the  uncandor.  "  I 
don't  often  get  the  chance  to  talk  of  our  famous  im 
posture,  and  I  can't  let  one  slip  through  my  fingers. 
You  must  come  in  to  supper,  and  if  you  smoke  I  can 
give  you  a  pipe  of  our  yellow  tobacco,  afterwards, 
and  we  can  talk  — " 

"  But  I  should  tire  you  with  my  questions.  In  the 
morning  — " 

"  We  old  men  sometimes  have  a  trick  of  not  living 
till  morning.  You  'd  better  take  me  while  you  can 
get  me." 

"  Well,  if  you  put  it  in  that  way,"  the  stranger  said, 
and  he  slipped  down  from  his  saddle. 

The  old  man  called  out,  "  Here,  Abel ! "  and  the 
figure  of  what  seemed  an  elderly  boy  came  lurching 
and  paddling  round  the  corner  of  the  cabin,  and 
ducked  his  gray  head  hospitably  toward  the  stranger. 
"  Give  this  horse  a  feed  while  we  're  taking  ours." 

"  All  right,  Squire.  Jest  helpin'  Sally  put  the  tur 
key-chicks  to  bed  out  o'  the  cold,  or  I  'd  'a'  been  round 
at  the  first  splashin'  in  the  road." 

"  And  now  come  in,"  the  Squire  said,  reaching 
a  hand  of  welcome  from  the  edge  of  the  porch  to  the 
stranger  as  he  mounted  the  steps.  "  Old  neighbors 
of  ours,"  he  explained  Abel  and  the  unseen  Sally. 
"  We  've  known  them,  boy  and  girl,  from  the  begin- 

227 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

ning,  and  when  their  old  cabin  fell  down  in  the  tail- 
end  of  a  tornado  a  few  years  back,  we  got  them  here 
in  a  new  one  behind  ours,  to  take  care  of  them,  and 
let  them  take  care  of  us.  They  don't  eat  with  us," 
he  added,  setting  open  the  kitchen  door,  and  ushering 
the  stranger  into  the  warm  glow  and  smell  of  the  in 
terior.  "  Mis'  Braile,"  he  said  for  introduction  to  his 
wife,  and  explained  to  her,  "  A  friend  that  I  caught 
on  the  wing.  I  don't  know  that  I  did  get  your 
name?" 

"  Mandeville  —  T.  J.  Mandeville ;  I  'm  from  Cam 
bridge." 

"  Thomas  Jefferson,  I  suppose.  Cambridge,  Ohio 
—  back  here?" 

"  Massachusetts." 

"  Well,  you  did  n't  sound  like  Ohio.  I  always  like 
to  make  sure.  Well,  you  must  pull  up.  Mother,  have 
you  got  anything  fit  to  eat,  this  evening?  " 

"You  might  try  and  see,"  Mrs.  Braile  responded 
in  what  seemed  their  habitual  banter. 

"  Well,  don't  brag,"  the  Squire  returned,  and  be 
tween  them  they  welcomed  the  stranger  to  a  meal  that 
he  said  he  had  not  tasted  the  like  of  in  all  his  Western 
travel. 

It  seemed  that  their  guest  did  not  smoke,  and  the 
Squire  alone  lighted  his  pipe.  Then  he  joked  his  wife. 
"  Mother,  will  you  let  us  stay  by  the  fire  here  —  it 's  a 
little  chilly  outdoors,  and  those  young  frogs  do  take 
the  heart  of  you  with  their  peeping  —  if  we  don't 

228 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

mind  your  bothering  round?  Mr.  Mandeville  wants 
to  hear  all  about  our  Leatherwood  God." 

"  He  '11  hear  more  about  him  than  he  wants  to  if 
he  listens  to  all  you  tell,  Matthew,"  Mrs.  Braile  re 
torted. 

"Oh,  no;  oh,  no,"  the  stranger  protested,  and  the 
Squire  laughed. 

"  You  wanted  to  know,"  he  said,  well  after  the  be 
ginning  of  their  talk,  "  whether  there  were  many  of 
the  Little  Flock  left.  Well,  some;  and  to  answer  your 
other  question,  they  're  as  strong  in  the  faith  as  ever. 
The  dead  died  in  the  faith ;  the  living  that  were  young 
in  it  in  the  late  eighteen-twenties  are  old  in  it  now 
in  the  first  of  the  fifties.  It 's  rather  curious,"  the 
Squire  said,  with  a  long  sigh  of  satisfaction  in  the 
anomaly,  "  but  after  the  arrest  of  Dylks,  and  his  trial 
and  acquittal  before  this  court,"  the  Squire  smiled, 
"  when  he  came  out  of  the  tall  timber,  and  had  his 
scalp  mended,  and  got  into  a  whole  suit  of  Saint  Pe 
ter's  clothes,  he  did  n't  find  the  Little  Flock  fallen  off  a 
great  deal.  They  were  a  good  deal  scared,  and  so 
was  he.  That  was  the  worst  of  the  lookout  for  Dylks ; 
his  habit  of  being  afraid;  it  was  about  the  best  thing, 
too;  kept  him  from  playing  the  very  devil.  There's 
no  telling  how  far  he  might  have  gone  if  he  had  n't 
been  afraid :  I  mean,  gone  in  personal  mischief." 

"  Yes,"  the  stranger  assented.  "  And  his  failure  in 
all  his  miracles  had  no  effect  on  his  followers  ?  " 

The  Squire  laughed,  with  a  rattling  of  loose  teeth 
229 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

on  his  pipe-stem.  "  Why,  he  did  n't  fail  according 
to  the  Little  Flock;  it  was  only  the  unbelievers  that 
disbelieved  in  the  miracles.  Even  those  that  went 
with  him  Over-the-Mountains  to  see  the  New  Jerusa 
lem  come  down  got  to  having  seen  it  as  time  went  on, 
though  some  had  their  doubts  when  they  first  came 
back.  Before  they  died,  they  'd  all  seen  him  go  up  in 
a  chariot  of  fire  with  two  black  horses  and  no  driver. 
Nobody  but  those  two  purblind  ignorant  boys  that 
tried  to  keep  him  from  drowning,  when  he  fell  into 
the  river,  could  be  got  to  say  that  the  heavenly  city 
did  n't  come  down  and  suck  him  up.  Why,  seven  or 
eight  years  after  he  left  there  was  a  preacher  who  was 
one  of  his  followers  came  back  here,  and  preached  in 
the  Dylks  Temple  —  the  old  Temple  burned  down, 
long  ago  and  was  never  rebuilt  —  preached  the  divin 
ity  of  Dylks,  and  said  there  was  no  true  religion  that 
did  n't  recognize  him  as  God.  As  for  Christianity, 
he  said  it  was  just  a  hotch-potch  of  Judaism  and  heath 
enism.  He  saw  the  Good  Old  Man  go  right  up  into 
heaven,  and  said  he  was  going  to  come  back  to  earth 
before  long  and  set  up  his  kingdom  here.  He  's  never 
done  it,  and  that  slick  preacher  never  came  back,  either, 
after  the  first.  He  was  very  well  dressed  and  looked 
as  if  he  had  been  living  on  the  fat  of  the  land,  some 
where,  among  the  faithful  Over-the-Mountains,  I 
reckon.  Knew  where  the  fried  chickens  roosted. 
Excuse  me,  mother.  She  's  heard  that  joke  before/' 
he  explained  to  their  guest. 

230 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  I  Ve  heard  it  too  often  to  mind  it,"  Mrs.  Braile 
mocked  back. 

"  Well,  it  seems  to  be  new  to  our  friend  here." 

Mr.  Mandeville  was  laughing,  but  he  controlled 
himself  to  ask,  "And  had  the  fellow  no  progressive 
doctrine,  no  steps  of  belief,  no  logical  formulation  of 
his  claims  ?  He  could  n't  have  been  merely  a  dunder- 
headed,  impudent  charlatan,  who  expected  to  convince 
by  the  miracles  he  did  n't  do  ?  " 

"Oh,  no;  oh,  no.  I  didn't  mean  to  imply  that," 
the  Squire  explained.  "  He  was  a  cunning  rascal  in 
his  way,  and  he  had  the  sort  of  brain  that  has  served 
the  purpose  of  the  imposter  in  all  ages.  He  had  a 
plan  of  belief,  as  you  may  call  it,  which  he  must 
have  thought  out  before  he  came  here,  if  he  hadn't 
begged,  borrowed,  or  stolen  it  from  somebody  else. 
At  first  he  called  himself  a  humble  teacher  of  Chris 
tianity,  but  it  was  n't  a  great  while  before  he  pretended 
to  be  Jesus  Christ  who  died  on  Calvary.  That  did  n't 
satisfy  him  long,  though.  When  he  had  convinced 
some  that  he  was  Christ,  he  began  to  teach  that  the 
Christ  who  was  crucified,  though  he  was  a  real  Mes 
siah,  was  not  a  perfect  Messiah,  because  he  had  died 
and  been  buried,  and  death  had  had  power  over  him 
just  as  it  has  over  any  mortal.  But  the  real  Messiah 
would  never  taste  death,  and  he  was  that  Messiah. 
Dylks  would  never  taste  death,  and  as  the  real  Messiah, 
he  would  be  one  with  God,  and  in  fact  he  was  the  one 
and  only  God.  These  were  the  steps,  ancj  the  way  to 

231 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

belief  in  the  godhead  was  clear  to  the  meanest  under 
standing.  The  meaner  the  understanding,  the  clearer," 
the  Squire  summed  up,  with  another  tattoo  on  his 
pipe-stem.  :t  You  see,"  he  resumed  after  a  mo 
ment,  "life  is  hard  in  a  new  country,  and  any 
body  that  promises  salvation  on  easy  terms  has  got 
a  strong  hold  at  the  very  start.  People  will  ac 
cept  anything  from  him.  Somewhere,  tucked  away 
in  us,  is  the  longing  to  know  whether  we  '11  live  again, 

^  and  the  hope  that  we  '11  live  happy.  I  Jve  got  fun  out 
of  that  fact  in  a  community  where  I  've  had  the  repu 
tation  of  an  infidel  for  fifty  years;  but  all  along  I  've 

^  felt  it  in  myself.  We  want  to  be  good,  and  we  want 
to  be  safe,  even  if  we  are  not  good;  and  the  first  fellow 
that  comes  along  and  tells  us  to  have  faith  in  him, 
and  he  '11  make  it  all  right,  why  we  have  faith  in  him, 

V  that 's  all." 

"  Well,  then,"  the  stranger  said,  holding  him  to  the 
logic  of  the  facts,  as  he  leaned  toward  him  from  his 
side  of  the  fireplace,  and  fixed  him  with  an  eager  eye, 
"  I  can't  see  why  he  did  n't  establish  his  superstition 
in  universal  acceptance,  as,  say,  Mahomet  did." 

"  I  'm  glad  you  came  to  that,"  the  Squire  blandly 
submitted.  "  For  one  thing,  and  the  main  thing,  be 
cause  he  was  a  coward.  He  had  plently  of  audacity 
but  mighty  little  courage,  and  his  courage  gave  out 
just  when  he  needed  it  the  most.  And  perhaps  he 
had  n't  perfect  faith  in  himself;  he  was  a  fool,  but  he 
was  n't  a  crazy  fool.  Then  again,  my  idea  is  that 

232 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

the  scale  was  too  small,  or  the  scene,  or  the  field,  or 
whatever  you  call  it.  The  backwoods,  as  Leather- 
wood  was  then,  was  not  the  right  starting  point  for  a 
world-wide  imposture.  Then  again,  as  I  said,  Dylks 
was  timid.  He  was  not  ready  to  shed  blood  for  his 
lie,  neither  other  people's  nor  his  own;  and  when  it 
came  to  fighting  for  his  doctrine,  he  was  afraid;  he 
wanted  to  run.  And,  in  fact,  he  did  run,  first  and 
last.  No  liar  ever  had  such  a  hold  on  them  that  be 
lieved  his  lie ;  they  'd  have  followed  him  any  lengths ; 
but  he  had  n't  the  heart  to  lead  them.  When  Redfield 
and  I  got  hold  of  him,  after  he  had  tasted  the  fear 
of  death,  there  that  week  in  the  tall  timber,  he  was 
willing  to  promise  anything  we  said.  And  he  kept 
his  promise ;  he  would  n't  if  he  could  have  helped  it, 
but  he  knew  Jim  Redfield  would  hold  him  to  it,  if  he 
squeezed  his  life  out  doing  it." 

The  stranger  was  silent,  but  not  apparently  con 
vinced,  and  meanwhile  he  took  up  another  point  of  in 
terest  in  the  story  which  he  heard  from  the  Squire. 
"  And  whatever  became  of  his  wife,  and  her  '  true ' 
husband?" 

"  Oh,  they  lived  on  together.  Not  very  long, 
though.  They  died  within  a  week  of  each  other, 
about.  Did  n't  they,  mother?  " 

"  Just  a  week/'  Mrs.  Braile  said,  animated  by  the 
human  touch  in  the  discussion.  "  They  lived  mighty 
happy  together,  and  it  was  as  good  a  death  as  a  body 
could  want  to  die.  It  was  that  summer  when  the 

233 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

fever  mowed  the  people  down  so.  They  took  their 
little  girl  with  them,"  she  sighed  from  a  source  of  hid 
den  sorrow.  "  They  all  went  together." 

Braile  took  his  pipe  out  and  gulped  before  he  could 
answer  the  stranger's  next  question.  "And  the  boy? 
Dylks's  son,  is  he  living?" 

"Oh,  yes."  At  the  pleasant  thought  of  the  boy, 
the  Squire  began  to  smile.  "  He  and  Kingston's  son 
took  over  the  mill  from  Kingston,  after  he  got  too 
old  for  it,  and  carried  it  on  together.  Kingston 
was  n't  one  that  hung  on  to  the  faith  in  Dylks,  but  he 
never  made  any  fuss  about  giving  it  up.  Just  staid 
away  from  the  Temple  that  the  Little  Flock  built  for 
themselves." 

"  And  is  young  Dylks  still  carrying  on  the  milling 
business  ?  " 

"  Who  ?  Joey  ?  Oh,  yes.  He  married  Benny 
Kingston's  sister.  Benny's  wife  died,  and  he  lives 
with  them." 

"  And  there  ain't  a  better  man  in  the  whole  of  Leath- 
erwood  than  Joey  Billin's,  as  we  always  call  him," 
Mrs.  Braile  put  in.  "  He  was  the  best  boy  anywhere, 
and  he  's  the  best  man." 

"  Well,  it 's  likely  to  come  out  that  way,  sometimes," 
the  Squire  said  with  tender  irony. 

"  And  you  can't  say,"  Mrs.  Braile  continued  with  a 
certain  note  of  indignation  as  for  unjust  neglect  of  the 
pair,  "  but  what  James  Redfield  and  Jane  has  got  along 
very  well  together." 

234 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

"  Oh,  yes,  they  've  got  along,"  the  Squire  assented. 
"  He 's  got  along  with  her,  and  she  's  got  along  with  the 
children  —  plenty  of  them.  I  reckon  she's  what  he 
wanted,  and  they  're  what  she  did." 

The  stranger  looked  a  little  puzzled. 

"  That  instinct  of  maternity,"  the  Squire  explained. 
"  You  may  have  noticed  it  in  women  —  some  of  them." 

"  Oh !  Oh,  yes,"  Mr.  Mandeville  assented.  He  did 
not  seem  greatly  interested. 

"  She 's  always  been  just  crazy  about  'em/'  Mrs. 
Braile  explained.  "  Beginnin'  with  Nancy  Billin's's 
little  girl.  Well!" 

"Yes,"  the  Squire  amplified.  "It  was  the  best 
thing,  or  at  least  the  strongest  thing  in  Jane.  I  don't 
say  anything  against  it,  mother,"  he  said  tenderly  to 
his  wife.  "  Jane  was  a  good  girl,  especially  after  she 
got  over  her  faith  in  Dylks,  and  she  's  a  good  woman. 
At  least,  Jim  thinks  so." 

Mrs.  Braile  contented  herself  as  she  could  with  his 
ironical  concession. 

The  stranger  looked  at  his  watch;  he  jumped  to  his 
feet.  "  Nine  o'clock !  Mrs.  Braile,  I  'm  ashamed. 
But  you  must  blame  your  husband,  partly.  Good 
night,  ma'am;  good —  Why,  look  here,  Squire 
Braile!"  he  arrested  himself  in  offering  his  hand. 
"  How  about  the  obscurity  of  the  scene  where  Joe 
Smith  founded  his  superstition,  which  bids  fair  to  live 
right  along  with  the  other  false  religions?  Was 
Leatherwood,  Ohio,  a  narrower  stage  than  Manchester, 

235 


THE  LEATHERWOOD  GOD 

New  York?    And  in  point  of  time  the  two  cults  wer<-. 
only  four  years  apart." 

"Well,  that's  a  thing  that's  occurred  to  me  sine 
we  've  been  talking.     Suppose  we  look  into  it  to-mor 
row?     Come  round  to  breakfast  —  about  six  o'clocl 
One  point,  though :     Joe  Smith  only  claimed  to  be 
prophet,  and  Dylks  claimed  to  be  a  god.     That  mac  • 
it  harder,  maybe  for  his  superstition." 


THE   END 


236 


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